Sokoto High Court Sentences Three to Death for Terrorism and Arms Trafficking

A Sokoto State High Court sentenced three men, including a Nigerien national, to death by hanging after finding them guilty of terrorism‑related offences and arms proliferation. The defendants – Yusuf Muhammad (alias Sallau), Jabbi Alhaji Yalle and Kabiru Muhammad – were arrested on 13 June 2025 by the Department of State Services (DSS) Counter‑Terrorism Unit during an operation targeting cross‑border criminal networks.

Justice Bello ordered the forfeiture of all monetary assets recovered from the convicts to the Federal Government. The ruling follows a recent series of DSS‑led prosecutions that have resulted in multiple death‑sentence verdicts in Nigeria, including cases in Katsina, Abuja and Kogi State linked to arms courier activities and attacks on worshippers.

The verdict underscores the Nigerian government's intensified legal response to terrorism, arms trafficking and related violent crime, highlighting cooperation between intelligence agencies, law‑enforcement and the judiciary.