A Federal High Court in Katsina State has sentenced a woman, Hauwa’u Mukhtar, to death by hanging after finding her guilty of terrorism-related offences .
Justice A. B. Bawale, presiding over High Court No. 3, Katsina, convicted Mukhtar on a two-count charge of conspiracy to commit terrorism and aiding and abetting terrorist activities .
The court held that the prosecution had established its case beyond reasonable doubt through evidence, witness testimonies and exhibits tendered during the trial .
How Mukhtar Was Arrested
Mukhtar was arrested on September 16, 2023, by operatives of the Department of State Services at Jibia Motor Park in Katsina State . She was allegedly attempting to transport 438 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition to a notorious bandit kingpin identified as Ado, who operates from Dunburum Forest in Zamfara State .
Security sources disclosed that the convict, in her statement, mentioned several bandit leaders she was dealing with after her divorce, as her new boyfriend connected her with the bandits to supply them with logistics worth hundreds of thousands of Naira.
The conviction marks the second death sentence secured by the DSS for terrorism-related cases in June . The agency recently secured a similar conviction against four men involved in the June 2022 Owo church attack .
A security source described the successful prosecution as “a significant milestone for the DSS, demonstrating its capacity to not only intercept criminal actors but to follow through with decisive legal action that results in landmark convictions” .
The ruling comes weeks after another female arms courier, Halima Haliru Umar, was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of 302 rounds of ammunition and attempting to support terrorist activities.
Justice Bawale sentenced Mukhtar to death by hanging in accordance with the provisions of the Penal Code Law of Katsina State, 2021
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