June 19 (THEWILL) — The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday convicted and sentenced the mother and sister of late bandit kingpin, Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo, to 40 years imprisonment each for terrorism-related offences, marking one of the most significant prosecutions linked to the late criminal leader’s network.
The convicts, Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi, were found guilty of aiding and abetting terrorist activities by passing operational information to Battujo through telephone communications and by deliberately withholding critical intelligence that could have led to his arrest.
Delivering judgment, Justice Hauwa Yilwa held that the prosecution had sufficiently established that the defendants supported the activities of the late bandit leader, thereby contravening provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The court found both women guilty on counts 2, 4 and 5 of a five-count charge filed by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.
They were, however, discharged on counts 1 and 3, which bordered on allegations of receiving ₦490,300 from Battujo as proceeds of terrorism, as well as receiving sponsorship from him for a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.
The prosecution had alleged that the defendants “ought to have known” that funds used to finance their Hajj pilgrimage were derived from terrorist activities, an offence contrary to Section 21 of the Act.
However, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) Rotimi Oyedepo SAN, applied for the withdrawal of those counts, which the court granted.
Justice Yilwa consequently sentenced both defendants to 40 years imprisonment each for aiding terrorist operations and for failing to report material information that could have assisted security agencies in apprehending Battujo.
Court records showed that Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi, both from Dungun Mu’aza in Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State, had visited Battujo’s forest hideout where they allegedly saw him in possession of firearms.
Despite this, they failed to alert law enforcement agencies as required by law.
They were further accused of using telephone conversations to relay sensitive information to Battujo, thereby facilitating his operations in violation of Section 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Prohibition) Act, 2022.
One of the charges read in part that the defendants “did aid and abet the activities of Battujo, a known bandit kingpin, by passing information through telephone conversations… thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under the Act.”
In another count, the prosecution alleged that the defendants knowingly concealed information material to the apprehension of Battujo after visiting his camp and observing his possession of firearms, but failed to report same to security authorities as soon as reasonably practicable.
It was also noted during proceedings that Battujo, a notorious bandit leader, was killed by security forces on June 10, 2026, in a forest near Iluke in the Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, bringing an end to his criminal activities prior to the conclusion of the trial against his associates.
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