The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted and sentenced a female gunrunner, Halima Haliru, to a 20-year prison term after she pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges.
The convict was arrested in July 2025 in Plateau State by operatives of the Department of State Services. At the time of her arrest, she was found in possession of 302 live rounds of 7.62x39mm ammunition.
She pleaded guilty to two of the four counts preferred against her. Consequently, trial Justice Hauwa Yilwa convicted and jailed her in accordance with the provisions of the law.
The trial judge, in passing the sentence, said she took judicial notice of the convict’s plea for leniency during her arraignment. However, she stressed that she also noted the gravity of the allegation against her, especially the offence of terrorism “which is a grievous offence that threatens the peaceful coexistence of citizens.”
Relying on Sections 5 and 7 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and Section 27 of the Firearms Act, the court sentenced the convict to 20 years imprisonment on count three and one year on count four. The court held that the sentences should run concurrently, beginning from the date of arrest.
The court further ordered that, upon completion of the prison term, the convict be transferred to a rehabilitation facility for deradicalisation before reintegration into society.
Some of the counts in the charge alleged that the convict knowingly concealed information about suspected gun-runners, bandits, and kidnappers, and knowingly rendered support for the commission of acts of terrorism by providing material assistance and transporting 302 rounds of AK-47 rifle live ammunition.
Justice Yilwa fixed July 9 to continue the hearing on the remaining counts in the charge.
