By James
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A Federal High Court in Katsina State has sentenced a female arms courier, Hauwa’u Mukhtar, to death by hanging after finding her guilty of conspiring with terrorists and supplying ammunition to armed bandits operating in Nigeria’s troubled North-West region.
The judgment, delivered by Justice A. B. Bawale, followed the court’s conviction of Mukhtar on terrorism-related charges, stemming from her arrest by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in September 2023.
According to court records, Mukhtar was intercepted at Jibia Motor Park in Katsina while attempting to transport 438 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.
Investigators later established that the ammunition was destined for a notorious bandit commander known as Ado, who reportedly operates from the expansive Dunburum Forest in neighbouring Zamfara State.
The prosecution told the court that the accused played a key role in a criminal network responsible for supplying weapons and ammunition to terrorist and bandit groups that have terrorised communities across the North-West through mass killings, kidnappings, and attacks on villages.
During the trial, prosecutors presented witness testimonies, intelligence reports, and physical evidence linking Mukhtar directly to the illicit arms supply operation.
The court ruled that the evidence proved beyond reasonable doubt that she participated in a conspiracy to support terrorist activities and facilitate the movement of ammunition to criminal groups.
Justice Bawale subsequently convicted her on all counts and imposed the death sentence in accordance with the provisions of the Katsina State Penal Code Law, 2021.
The conviction is being viewed as a major breakthrough in ongoing efforts by security agencies to dismantle the logistical networks that sustain banditry and terrorism in the North-West.
Security experts have repeatedly warned that armed groups depend heavily on couriers, informants, and suppliers who move weapons, ammunition, and other resources to their camps.
For years, Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, and parts of Niger State have battled escalating insecurity fueled by heavily armed bandit groups responsible for kidnappings, cattle rustling, and deadly attacks on rural communities. Authorities believe cutting off the supply chain of weapons remains one of the most effective strategies for weakening the criminal networks.
Mukhtar’s conviction marks one of the most significant terrorism-related judgments involving an alleged ammunition courier in recent years and underscores the increasing determination of Nigerian authorities to hold facilitators of violent crimes accountable under the law.
Legal observers, however, note that the convicted woman retains the right to challenge the verdict at the appellate courts.
