Court jails terrorist kingpin’s mother, sister for 40 years

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday sentenced the mother and sister of slain terrorist kingpin Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo to 40 years’ imprisonment each for supporting his terrorist activities.

Justice Hauwa Yilwa handed down the sentences against Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi after both women pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges filed by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

Battujo was killed by Nigerian security forces on June 10, 2026, following a failed mass abduction attempt and attack on students writing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination in a forest near Iluke in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The two women were convicted on three of the five counts preferred against them, including aiding and abetting Battujo’s activities by passing information to him through telephone conversations, contrary to Section 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Safiya, Battujo’s mother, was additionally convicted for concealing information about her son’s activities after visiting his forest camp and seeing him in possession of firearms.

Halima, his sister, was convicted on a separate count for concealing information that could have aided his arrest.

Parts of the charge read, “That you HALIMA ABDULLAHI and SAFIYA SALIHU, Female, adult, of Dungun Muaza Sabuwa LGA, Katsina State sometime in 2026 at Katsina State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did commit an offence, when you received the sum of four hundred and ninety thousand, three hundred Naira only (N490,300) from Battujo a known terrorist, which sum you reasonably ought to know formed part of the proceeds of Terrorism, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under the section 21 of the Terrorism (Prevention Prohibition) Act, 2022.

“That you HALIMA ABDULLAHI and SAFIYA SALIHU, Female, adult, of Dungun Muaza Sabuwa LGA, Katsina State sometime in 2026 at Katsina State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did commit an offence, when you aided and abetted the activities of Battujo a known bandit Kingpin and passed information through telephone conversations to the said Battujo, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

The defendants pleaded guilty to counts two, four and five of the five-count charge and were convicted accordingly.

However, the court discharged them on counts one and three, which alleged that they received ₦490,300 from Battujo while aware that the funds were proceeds of terrorism.

The discharge followed an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Oyedepo Rotimi (SAN).

Although each of the counts on which they were convicted carries a 20-year prison term, Justice Yilwa ordered that the sentences run concurrently.

The court also directed that both convicts undergo rehabilitation upon completion of their jail terms.