In a significant development in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and transnational crime, a High Court in Sokoto State has sentenced three men, including a citizen of the Republic of Niger, to death by hanging after finding them guilty of terrorism and arms proliferation offences. The judgment underscores the government’s intensifying crackdown on criminal networks operating across Nigeria’s borders.
The convicts, identified as Yusuf Muhammad, also known as Sallau, a Nigerien national, alongside Jabbi Alhaji Yalle and Kabiru Muhammad, were arrested on June 13, 2025, by operatives of the Department of State Services’ Counter Terrorism Unit. Investigators linked the trio to cross border criminal activities involving terrorism and illegal arms trafficking.
The case, marked SS/45C/2026, was heard by Justice Muhammad Nuraddeen Bello of High Court No. 23 in Sokoto. After reviewing the evidence presented by prosecutors, the judge ruled that the charges had been proven beyond reasonable doubt and convicted all three defendants on every count before sentencing them to death by hanging. ..READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
Beyond the death sentences, the court also ordered that all monetary exhibits and other proceeds connected to the crimes be forfeited to the Federal Government, a move authorities say is intended to dismantle the financial foundations that sustain terrorist and criminal organisations.
The ruling is the latest in a series of successful terrorism related prosecutions secured by security agencies as Nigeria continues to confront growing security challenges. In recent weeks, courts across the country have delivered several major judgments against individuals accused of supporting terrorism, arms trafficking, kidnapping and violent attacks.
The judgment also comes shortly after other high profile convictions. A Federal High Court in Katsina sentenced a woman, Hauwa’u Mukhtar, to death over arms trafficking allegations after she was arrested while transporting hundreds of rounds of ammunition intended for an alleged bandit leader. Similarly, a Federal High Court in Abuja recently sentenced four individuals to death over their roles in the deadly attack on worshippers in Owo, Ondo State, while a Kogi State High Court sentenced a kidnap suspect to death for the murder of a hotel owner in Obajana.
Security analysts say the Sokoto judgment sends a strong message about Nigeria’s determination to disrupt cross border terror networks, particularly in northern regions that have experienced persistent threats from armed groups exploiting porous international boundaries. However, experts also stress that sustained intelligence gathering, regional cooperation and stronger border management will remain essential to preventing future terrorist activities.
