KEY POINTS

• A Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced the mother and sister of slain bandit leader Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo to 20 years imprisonment each for aiding terrorism.
• The women admitted receiving money and Hajj sponsorship linked to terrorism proceeds and helping the bandit leader through phone communications.
• Justice Hauwa Yilwa ordered that the sentences run concurrently and directed that both convicts undergo rehabilitation after serving their terms.

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced the mother and sister of slain bandit kingpin, Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo, to 20 years imprisonment each after they admitted to charges linked to terrorism financing and support.

Justice Hauwa Yilwa handed down the sentence on Friday following the guilty pleas entered by Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi to charges brought against them by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

The two women were arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) during investigations into the activities and network of Battujo, one of the country’s most wanted bandit leaders.

Battujo was killed by troops during a military operation on June 10, 2026, in a forest around Iluke in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State. Before his death, he reportedly coordinated attacks and criminal activities across several states in Nigeria’s North-West and North-Central regions.

Women Benefited From Funds Linked to Terrorism

According to documents presented before the court, the convicts received N490,300 from the deceased bandit leader and also benefited from Hajj sponsorship allegedly financed with proceeds generated from terrorist activities.

Investigators further established that both women maintained communication with Battujo and helped relay information to him through telephone conversations.

Court records showed that one of the defendants knowingly failed to alert security agencies to Battujo’s activities despite being aware of his involvement in banditry.

The second defendant admitted visiting the bandit leader at his forest hideout, where she saw him carrying firearms. Despite witnessing the weapons and being aware of his activities, she did not inform law enforcement authorities.

During the proceedings, the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, withdrew two of the five counts initially filed against the defendants.

The court subsequently convicted the women on the remaining charges to which they pleaded guilty.