Court jails gunrunner 20 years for terrorism offences

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday sentenced a gunrunner, Halima Haliru, to 20 years imprisonment over terrorism-related offences.

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Ms Haliru, who was arrested by operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) in July last year in Plateau State, north-central Nigeria, pleaded guilty in March to two out of the four gun and terrorism charges instituted against her.

During trial, an SSS witness narrated how the defendant, a woman, was arrested with 302 rounds of 7.6 x 39mm live ammunition allegedly meant for delivery to a notorious bandit leader.

The defendant pleaded guilty to counts three and four of the four count charges filed against her.

The witness tendered the ammunition, investigation report, the defendant’s statements and money recovered from her.

Judge Hauwa Yilwa subsequently adjourned the matter for sentencing.

Delivering judgement on Friday, Judge Yilwa said, “I have taken judicial notice of the defendant’s plea for mercy during her arraignment. However, I have also taken judicial notice of the offence of terrorism, which is a grievous offence that threatens the peaceful coexistence of citizens.”

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Relying on Sections 5 and 7 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as well as Section 27 of the Firearms Act, the judge sentenced Ms Haliru to 20 years imprisonment on count three and one year on count four.

The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently from the date of her arrest.

Judge Yilwa also ordered that after completing her prison term, the convict should be transferred to a rehabilitation facility for deradicalisation before reintegration into society.

The judge adjourned the matter until 9 July for continuation of trial on the remaining counts to which the defendant pleaded not guilty.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the SSS charged Ms Haliru as the sole defendant after her arrest in July last year. The case is marked FHC/ABJ/CR/450/2025.

In count three, which she pleaded guilty to, Ms Haliru of Unguwan Boka, Faskari LGA, Katsina State, was accused of attempting to render support for the commission of acts of terrorism, sometime on 7 July 2025, at Barkin Ladi LGA and Jos North LGA of Plateau.

She was alleged to have provided material assistance and transportation of three hundred and two (302) rounds of AK-47 rifle live ammunition, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 28 (1) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 13 (1) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

In count four, she was accused to have in her possession 302 rounds of AK-47 rifle live ammunition, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(1) of Firearms Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1) of the same Act.

While reviewing the facts in relation to the two counts, a SSS operative, Fahad Tahir, gave details of how the defendant was arrested and how she came about the live ammunition.

Mr Tahir told the court that he got to know the convict in the course of investigating the case.

He added that she was transferred to the Abuja headquarters of the SSS on 11 August 2025 by its Plateau State command after she was arrested while in possession of 302 live rounds of 7.6 by 39mm ammunition.

“My director instructed me and my team to carry out further investigation.

“We received the defendant with the following items: 302 live rounds of ammunition, her voluntary confessional statement, written in Hausa and English; the statement of the arresting officer, the compact disc containing the audio visual recording of her interview session, investigation report from the Plateau State Command and the sum of N57,100.

“After receiving the defendant and the items mentioned, we proceeded to conduct further investigation into the case by examining the items earlier mentioned and also interviewed the defendant, which was audio/visually recorded and in the presence of an official of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria.

“In the course of the interview, she narrated how, on the 6th of July, 2025, one Sani instructed her to go to Zaria in Kaduna State to help him collect a message from someone.

“She said Sani gave her the sum of N50,000 for her travel expenses.

“She stated that, upon her arrival in Zaria, Sani further instructed her to proceed to Jos in Plateau State.

“On getting to Jos, Sani directed her to one Alhaji, who later handed over a waste bag containing 302 live ammunition.

“She stated that on her way back to Jos, she was arrested while being in possession of the 302 rounds of live ammunition.

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“She volunteered her statement in Hausa language and was interpreted by my colleague into the English Language, since she is an illiterate in the English Language.

“At the conclusion of our investigation, we wrote our investigation report and submitted it to the director,” the witness said.

Plateau State has been a hotbed of violent attacks, which have worsened in recent years.

The case highlights how the attacks are planned and role of illegal movement of arms across states and sometimes from neighbouring countries in the escalating security crisis in the state and neighbouring Benue State.

(NAN)