The federal government on Thursday brought five men to the Federal High Court in Abuja. They are accused of planning to supply 15 AK-103 rifles and 1,434 rounds of live ammunition to a suspected Boko Haram member in Niger State. This area has been a major spot for the growing insecurity in Nigeria.
The men are Yusuf Muhammad, also known as Bature; Goni Ibrahim Bindi, also known as Goni Mutuwa; Sani Tukur, also known as Danladi; Mubarak Ibrahim; and Musa Alhaji Adamu, known as Gado Banufe.
They face four charges, including terrorism, illegal possession of firearms, and supporting a terrorist group. The indictment was signed by Rotimi Oyedepo, the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). He led the prosecution team with M. A. Oladunjoye on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
The defendants had their lawyer, Akilahyel Shetima, representing them in court. The charges state that the accused conspired between April 23 and 24, 2026, to support a terrorist. They allegedly played different roles in moving 15 AK-103 rifles and about 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from the Diffa Region of Niger Republic into Nigeria.
The Diffa Region has been noted by security experts as part of the Lake Chad Basin, where Boko Haram and similar groups operate across the borders of Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. Prosecutors claimed the weapons were meant for a man named Malam Ahmad, described as a Boko Haram member in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
They also claimed the defendants helped move the weapons and ammunition for the suspected terrorist, giving material support for acts of terrorism. The offences go against Sections 26(1) and 13(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
One charge specifically says that Goni Ibrahim Bindi, Sani Tukur, and Musa Alhaji Adamu had illegal possession of the firearms and ammunition. The charge says they were caught on April 24 at Kwangila area along the Kano-Kaduna Expressway in Zaria, Kaduna State, while allegedly transporting the weapons.
Prosecutors say the 15 AK-103 rifles and 1,434 rounds of ammunition were hidden in sacks of dried fish and loaded into a blue Volkswagen Golf 3 with Niger Republic registration number BT 9990 DA. Reports have shown that traffickers in the Sahel often use commercial goods and farm products to hide illegal weapons while moving them along informal border routes.
The federal government also made another claim against Yusuf Muhammad, the first defendant. They said that between February 2025 and April, he had information that could help security agencies find Malam Ahmad, who was hiding in the Gandu Forest in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
But prosecutors claimed he did not share this information with the relevant law enforcement agencies. This act goes against Section 16 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
To support their case, the prosecution filed a proof of evidence. This includes the defendants’ confessional statements, attestation forms, investigators’ reports, and other documents they will use in court. Investigating officers and witnesses will also be called to testify.
A case summary stated that the defendants were arrested based on intelligence about a plan to move weapons from Niger Republic to a suspected terrorist hideout in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State. Investigators said the second and third defendants received the weapons in the Diffa Region before they were caught while moving them into Nigeria.
The prosecution further claimed that the first and fourth defendants traveled from Borgu to Zaria on Malam Ahmad's instructions to receive the consignment and deliver it to the suspected terrorist hiding in a forest in Borgu Local Government Area.
All five defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. After their arraignment, the court postponed the case for trial while considering their continued detention and the bail applications made for them. Under Nigerian law, these charges are still allegations, and the defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty in court.
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