A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced five individuals, including a citizen of Niger Republic, to 25 years in prison after they were found guilty of terrorism-related offences.
The convicts — Yusuf Mohammed, also known as Bature; Goni Ibrahim Bindi, popularly called Goni Mutuwa; Sani Tulur, alias Danladi; Mubarak Ibrahim; and Musa Alhaji Adamu, also known as Gado Banufe — admitted to a four-count charge when they appeared before Justice Binta Nyako following their prosecution by the Department of State Services.
The charges included providing support to a terrorist by agreeing to transport rifles, unlawful possession and concealment of arms and ammunition, illegal firearms dealings, and related offences.
Following the defendants’ guilty pleas, the prosecution sought permission to tender items recovered from the defendants.
With the court’s permission, the prosecution tendered a forwarding letter, accompanied with the investigation report and the statements of the defendants.
The prosecution also tendered 15 units of AK 103 rifles, complete with their magazines and 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, to which the defence did not object.
Justice Nyako admitted the items and convicted the defendants, after which the judge requested that each defendant make a plea of allocutus, which they did.
The prosecution applied that a Volkswagen car, used in conveying the arms and ammunition, be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The judge sentenced each of the five convicts to 25 years on count one. On counts two and three, she sentenced the third, fourth, and fifth convicts to seven years, while on count four, only the first defendant got 25 years.
According to the trial judge, the sentences are to run concurrently, beginning from the date of the arrest.
Justice Nyako ordered that the convicts should serve their terms of improvement in a place designated by the Minister of Interior.
The judge ordered that the exhibits be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Counts in the charge against the defendants read:
*Theat you Yusuf Muhammad (aka Bature), adult, male, 33 years old of Gofanti village, Borgu Loca Government Area, Niger State; Goni Ibrahim Bindi (aka Goni Mutua), adult, male, 23 years old of Awadiri, Diffa Region, Republic of Niger; Sani Tukur (aka Danladi), adult, 25 years old of Sansani Displaced Persons Camp, Diffa Region, Republic of Niger; Mubarak Ibrahim, adult, 28 years old of Gofanti village, Borgu LGA of Niger State, and Musa Alhaji Adamu (aka Gado Banufe) between April 23 and 24, 2026, did commit an offence, to wit: jointly conspired to assist a terrorist by agreeing and intentionally playing various roles towards conveying 15 AK 103 rifles as well as about 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from Diffa Region.
Republic of Niger to Malam Ahmad, a member of the Boko Haram terrorist group based in Borgu LGA of Niger State, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
*That you, Yusuf Muhammad (aka Bature), adult, male, 33 years old of Gofanti village, Borgu LGA, Niger State; Goni Ibrahim Bindi (aka Goni Mutua), adult, male, 23 years old of Awadiri, Diffa region, Republic of Niger, Sani Tukur (aka Danladi), adult, male, 25 years old of Sansani Displaced Persons Camp, Diffa Region, Republic of Niger, Mubarak Ibrahim, adult, male, 28 years old of Gofanti village, Borgu LGA of Niger State, and Musa Alhaji Adamu (aka Gado Banufe) between April 23 and 24 did commit an offence, to wit: rendered support for commission of act of terrorism to a terrorist by agreeing and conveying 15 AK 103 rifles as well as about 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from Diffa Region, Republic of Niger on behalf of Malam Ahmad, a member of the Boko Haram terrorist group based in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 13(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
*That you, Goni Ibrahim Bindi (a.k.a. Goni Mutuwa), adult, male, 23 years old, of Awadiri, Diffa Region, Republic of Niger; Sani Tukur (aka Danladi), adult, male, 25 years old, of Sansani Displaced Persons Camp, Diffa region, Republic of Niger and Musa Alhaji Adamu (aka Gado Banufe), sometime between April 23 and 24, 2026, at Kwangila area, on the Kano-Kaduna expressway, Zaria; within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did commit an offence, to wit: you had in your possession 15 AK 103 rifles and 1,434) rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition carefully concealed in sacks containing dried fish loaded in a blue Volkswagen (Golf 3) car with Republic of Niger registered plate number BT 9990 DA. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27(1) (a) (i), and (b) (ii) of the Firearms Act, CAP F28 LFN, 2004.
*That you, Yusuf Muhammad (aka Bature), adult, male, 33 years old of Gofanti village, Borgu LGA, Niger State, sometimes between February 2025 and April 2026 did commit an offence, to wit: you had information which you know or believed to be of material assistance in securing the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of Malam Ahmad, a known terrorist hibernating in Gandu forest, Borgu LGA of Niger State, and you failed to disclose such information to law enforcement or security officers.
You thereby committed an offence in contravention of Section 16 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
In her judgment, Justice Nyako found the defendants guilty as charged and convicted them.