From Bashir Rabe Mani, Sokoto
The Sokoto State High Court on Wednesday sentenced three individuals to death by hanging, following their conviction for terrorism and cross-border arms proliferation.
The convicts—Yusuf Muhammad (also known as Sallau), Jabbi Alhaji Yalle, and Kabiru Muhammad—were prosecuted after being apprehended by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Delivering his judgment in the case marked SS/45c/2026, the presiding judge, Justice Nuraddeen Muhammed Bello of High Court 23, ruled that the prosecution had proved its case of terrorism and arms trafficking beyond a reasonable doubt.
In addition to the death sentences, Justice Bello ordered the absolute forfeiture of all monetary exhibits recovered from the convicts to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The trio, comprising two Nigerians and one Nigerien national, were intercepted on June 13, 2025, by the Counter-Terrorism Unit of the DSS.
Their arrest followed an extensive intelligence operation targeting highly organized cross-border criminal networks operating along the Nigeria-Niger Republic frontier.
The landmark judgment has drawn widespread acclaim from Sokoto residents, who lauded the DSS for its thorough investigation and successful prosecution.
Speaking on the development, several community leaders urged Nigeria’s intelligence and security agencies to sustain the momentum against cross-border syndicates
They further appealed to the judiciary and law enforcement agencies to ensure swift dispensation of justice in high-profile security cases to serve as a strong deterrent to others.
