Nigeria: Sokoto Court Sentences 3 to Death for Terrorism, Arms Trafficking

25 June 2026
Leadership (Abuja)
By Onuado Cynthia

A High Court in Sokoto State has sentenced three men, including a citizen of the Republic of Niger, to death by hanging after convicting them of terrorism-related offences and illegal arms trafficking.

The convicts -- Yusuf Muhammad, also known as Sallau, a Nigerian national; Jabbi Alhaji Yalle, a citizen of the Republic of Niger; and Kabiru Muhammad -- were found guilty of conspiring to support terrorist activities through the illegal transportation of weapons and ammunition across Nigeria's borders.

The suspects were arrested on June 13, 2025, by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) Counter-Terrorism Unit during intelligence-led operations targeting arms-smuggling networks and terrorist activities.

The case, marked SS/45C/2026, was heard before Justice Muhammad Nuraddeen Bello of High Court No. 23 in Sokoto State.

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Delivering judgment, Justice Bello convicted the three defendants on all counts and sentenced them to death by hanging. The court also ordered that all monetary exhibits recovered from the convicts be forfeited to the federal government.

According to court records, the convicts conspired to assist a terrorist by facilitating the transportation of 15 AK-103 rifles and approximately 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from the Diffa Region of the Republic of Niger into Nigeria.

The weapons were allegedly destined for one Malam Ahmad, identified by investigators as a member of the Boko Haram terrorist group operating in the Borgu area of Niger State.

Court documents further revealed that the arms trafficking operation formed part of a broader cross-border network involved in supporting terrorist activities and organised criminal operations.

The DSS said the arrests were made during separate intelligence-led counter-terrorism operations aimed at dismantling arms-smuggling syndicates and disrupting the supply of weapons to terrorist groups operating within the country.

The agency described the conviction as another significant success in its sustained campaign against terrorism, arms proliferation and transnational organised crime, while the court's judgment also ordered the forfeiture of all funds recovered from the convicts to the federal government.

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