Court fixes May 8 for judgment in trial of woman supplying ammunition to bandits 

Justice Yilwa Hauwa Joseph of the Abuja Federal High Court has fixed May 8 for judgment in terrorism charges filed by the Department of the State Service DSS against Halima Haliru Umar, a woman accused of supplying ammunition to bandits.

The judge fixed the date on Wednesday at the review of proceedings of facts on the admission of guilt by the accused person.

At Wednesday’s proceedings, a DSS operative and first prosecution witness, Fahad Tahir, narrated to the court how the Katsina housewife was on July 6, 2025 apprehended by DSS operatives with 302 rounds of AK-47 rifle live ammunition and N57,100 cash while being transported to a group of bandits in Plateau State.

Upon arrest, the witness said that the accused person made a statement in Hausa language at the Plateau Command office of the DSS, admitting that one Alhaji Sani sent her to Zaria in Kaduna State to procure the ammunition from another person.

Tahir said the accused person was on August 11, 2025 subsequently moved from Plateau State to the Abuja national headquarters of the DSS, where the second round of interview was conducted.

The DSS operative explained that in the presence of a lawyer from the Legal Aid Council, the accused person made another statement in Hausa language, where she also admitted her arrest with the ammunition and the N57,100 cash.

Led in evidence-in-chief by DSS counsel, Dr Callistus Samson Ezeh, the witness tendered the 302 live ammunition, N57,100 cash and the accused person’s statements, among others, which were admitted as exhibits following no objections by Hamza Dantani, lawyer to the defendant.

After the review of the case facts and admission of the exhibits, Justice Yilwa Hauwa Joseph fixed May 8 for judgment in counts 3 and 4 – on which the defendant admitted guilt, and continuation of trial in counts one and two, in which the defendant pleaded not guilty.

In the open court, the accused person was shown the live ammunition and the cash. She confessed that she was arrested with them.

The charge against the woman read:

Count 1

That you, Halima Haliru Umar of Unguwan Boka, Faskari LGA, Katsina State, Adult, female, sometime in July, 2025, at Faskari LGA, Katsina State and Barkin Ladi LGA, Plateau State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did knowingly conceal information about one Alhaji Sani and one Alhaji (fnu), suspected Gun-runners, Bandits and Kidnappers, knowing the information to be of material assistance in apprehending and preventing the commissioning of acts of terrorism, but failed to disclose the information to any Law Enforcement or Security Officer, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 16 (1) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Count 2

That you, Halima Haliru Umar of Unguwan Boka, Faskari LGA, Katsina State, Adult, female, sometime on 6″ and 7 July, 2025, at Faskari LGA, Katsina State and Barkin Ladi LGA, Plateau State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did knowingly render support for the commission of acts of terrorism by providing material assistance and transportation of Three Hundred and Two (302) rounds of AK-47 Rifle live ammunitions, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 13 (1) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Count 3

That you, Halima Haliru Umar of Unguwan Boka, Faskari LGA, Katsina State, Adult, female, sometime on 7th July, 2025, at Barkin Ladi LGA and Jos North LGA of Plateau State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did attempt to render support for the commission of acts of terrorism by providing material assistance and transportation of Three Hundred and Two (302) rounds of AK-47 Rifle live ammunitions, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 28 (1) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 13 (1) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Count 4

That you, Halima Haliru Umar of Unguwan Boka, Faskari LGA, Katsina State, Adult, female, sometime on 7th July, 2025, at Jos North LGA of Plateau State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did have in your possession Three Hundred and Two (302) rounds of AK-47 Rifle live ammunitions, and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8(1) of the Firearms Act 2004 and punishable under section 27(1) of the same Act.

Court fixes May 8 for judgment in trial of woman supplying ammunition to bandits