- Halima pleaded guilty to two out of the four charges brought against her
- Halima confirmed that she was arrested with the ammunition and money
- The charges against her included concealing information about suspected gunrunners and bandits
A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced a housewife, Halima Haliru Umar, to 20 years in prison after she admitted to charges filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) over the illegal possession and transportation of 302 rounds of live AK-47 ammunition.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Justice Hauwa Joseph Yilwa delivered the judgment on Friday, stressing that crimes linked to banditry and terrorism pose a grave danger to public safety and should be treated seriously.
Halima pleaded guilty to two out of the four charges brought against her. Although she appealed for mercy and expressed regret over her actions, the court held that the growing insecurity across the country required strict punishment for offenders.
During proceedings, the defendant admitted to assisting terrorist activities by transporting ammunition intended for bandits operating in Plateau State.
A DSS operative, Fahad Tahir, who testified as the first prosecution witness, told the court that the suspect was arrested on July 6, 2025, while carrying 302 rounds of live AK-47 ammunition and N57,100 in cash.
According to the witness, investigations revealed that the accused had been sent by a man identified as Alhaji Sani to Zaria, Kaduna State, to obtain the ammunition from another contact before transporting it to Plateau State.
Tahir further stated that the suspect was later transferred to the DSS headquarters in Abuja on August 11, 2025, where she made another statement in the presence of a Legal Aid Council lawyer, again admitting her involvement.
The prosecution, led by DSS counsel Callistus Samson Ezeh, tendered the ammunition, cash exhibits and the suspect’s statements before the court. The items were admitted without objection from defence counsel Hamza Dantani.
In court, Halima confirmed that she was arrested with the ammunition and money.
The charges against her included concealing information about suspected gunrunners and bandits, supporting acts of terrorism through transportation of ammunition, attempting to aid terrorism, and unlawful possession of firearms ammunition under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and the Firearms Act.
