A Sokoto State High Court has sentenced three individuals, including a foreign national, to death by hanging after finding them guilty of terrorism-related offences and illegal arms trafficking.
The convicts — Jabbi Alhaji Yalle, a citizen of the Republic of Niger, Yusuf Muhammad, popularly known as Sallau, and Kabiru Muhammad — were prosecuted following their arrest by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Delivering judgment in suit number SS/45C/2026, Justice Nuraddeen Muhammed Bello of High Court 23 in Sokoto held that the prosecution successfully proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. The court consequently convicted the three defendants on charges bordering on terrorism and arms proliferation.
Justice Bello also ordered that all funds and monetary exhibits recovered during the investigation be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The DSS had arrested the suspects on June 13, 2025, through its Counter-Terrorism Unit over their alleged involvement in cross-border criminal operations linked to arms trafficking and terrorist activities.
The security agency’s investigation reportedly uncovered evidence connecting the trio to the movement of illegal weapons and other activities considered a threat to national security.
Following the judgment, residents of Sokoto commended the DSS for its efforts in tackling terrorism and organised cross-border crimes. Many urged security agencies to sustain the crackdown on criminal networks operating within and across Nigeria’s borders.
They also called on law enforcement agencies and the judiciary to continue ensuring the speedy prosecution of cases involving terrorism and other serious security threats in the interest of national security.