By Abigail David
The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced the mother and sister of late bandit leader Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo to 40 years imprisonment each for offences linked to terrorism.
Justice Hauwa Yilwa delivered the judgment on Friday after Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi pleaded guilty to three counts of a five-count terrorism-related charge filed by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.
The court found the two women guilty of aiding and abetting the activities of the late bandit kingpin by passing information to him through telephone conversations, contrary to the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Prohibition) Act, 2022.
They were also convicted for concealing information about Battujo’s activities and failing to alert law enforcement agencies, despite allegedly visiting his forest camp and seeing him in possession of firearms.
Justice Yilwa, however, discharged the defendants on two other counts relating to the alleged receipt of ₦490,300 and sponsorship for the Hajj pilgrimage, after the prosecution applied to have those charges struck out.
The prosecution had alleged that the women ought to have known that the funds and sponsorship were proceeds of terrorism, but the court did not convict them on those counts.
The Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), had urged the court to convict the defendants on the remaining charges after withdrawing the two financial-related counts.
According to court documents, the offences were committed in Katsina State, where the convicts allegedly maintained communication with Battujo and failed to provide information that could have aided his arrest.
Battujo, a notorious bandit leader, was killed by security forces on June 10, 2026, during an operation in a forest near Iluke in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
