Five Men Sentenced to 25 Years for Supplying Arms to Boko Haram

The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced five men to 25 years each for giving logistical and arms support to Boko Haram terrorists in Niger State, North-central Nigeria.

The men are Yusuf Muhammad, also known as Bature, Goni Ibrahim Bindi, also known as Goni Mutuwa, Sani Tukur, known as Danladi, Mubarak Ibrahim, and Musa Alhaji Adamu, also called Gado Banufe.

Judge Binta Nyako gave the sentence on Thursday after the men admitted to four charges related to terrorism, illegal possession of firearms, and supporting a terrorist group.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that they were brought before the judge on the same day. Before the judgement, the judge allowed the prosecution to present a collection of arms and ammunition taken from the defendants.

The prosecution, led by Rotimi Oyedepo, who is the Director of Public Prosecutions and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, presented 15 AK-103 rifles with their magazines and 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition.

They also submitted a forwarding letter, along with the investigation report and the statements from the defendants. The defence, led by Akilahyel Shetima, did not object, which allowed Mrs Nyako to accept the items as evidence and convict the men.

The judge stated that their admissions and evidence showed that they actively participated in moving firearms and supporting people involved in terrorist activities. With the judge's approval, the defence lawyer asked for leniency for the convicts.

After this, the prosecution requested to take a Volkswagen car, used to transport arms, for the federal government. The judge agreed and sentenced the men to 25 years on the first count.

She also sentenced Sani Tukur, Mubarak Ibrahim, and Musa Alhaji Adamu to seven years in prison each. Yusuf Muhammad received 25 years for Count 4.

The judge ordered that the sentences run at the same time, starting from their arrest. This means all five will serve 25 years, which is the longest prison term each received.

She instructed that they serve their sentences in a place chosen by the Minister of Interior. Mrs Nyako also ordered that the items taken from them be given to the federal government.

The prosecution stated that the men committed the offences between April 23 and 24 when they worked together to help a terrorist by transporting 15 AK-103 rifles and about 1,434 rounds of ammunition from the Diffa region in Niger Republic to one Malam Ahmad.

The prosecution identified Mr Ahmad as a Boko Haram member based in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

According to the prosecution, the case connects to the attack on St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri on November 21, 2025, where armed men on motorcycles stormed the school, shooting and forcing students and teachers into nearby forests.

About 50 students managed to escape during the attack, but more than 250 others were taken into the Kainji Lake Reserve Forest. They were held for days before being rescued and reunited with their families on December 24, 2025.

After the rescue, the State Security Service opened investigations into the attackers and what was described as the network that supported them. This investigation eventually led to the arrest of the five men.

Mr Oyedepo filed the four charges against the five men and led the prosecution together with M. A. Oladunjoye for the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

Mr Shetima represented the defendants. The indictment stated that the accused planned between April 23 and 24, 2026, to transport 15 AK-103 rifles and about 1,434 rounds of ammunition from the Diffa Region of Niger into Nigeria.

The Diffa Region, which borders north-eastern Nigeria, has been known by security experts as part of the area where Boko Haram and its splinter groups operate across borders between Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.

Prosecutors claimed the weapons were meant for Malam Ahmad, described as a Boko Haram member in Borgu Local Government Area. They said the men helped move the weapons and ammunition on his behalf, thus providing support for terrorism.

The offences go against Sections 13(1) and 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. One of the counts specifically accused Bindi, Tukur, and Adamu of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

The indictment stated they were arrested on April 24, at the Kwangila area along the Kano-Kaduna Expressway in Zaria, Kaduna State, while carrying the weapons.

Prosecutors said the rifles and ammunition were hidden inside sacks of dried fish and loaded into a blue Volkswagen Golf 3 with Niger Republic registration number BT 9990 DA.

Security reports have shown that arms traffickers in the Sahel often hide weapons in commercial goods to avoid detection at border routes. The federal government also accused Muhammad of hiding information that could help security agencies find and prosecute Malam Ahmad, who was said to be hiding in the Gandu Forest in Borgu LGA. His failure to report this information violated Section 16 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

In the proof of evidence, the prosecution listed confessional statements, attestation forms, investigators’ reports, and other documents used in the case, and said witnesses would testify in support of the charges.

A case summary noted that the men were arrested after intelligence showed a plan to move weapons from Niger into a suspected terrorist area in Borgu LGA. Investigators said the second and third men received the items in Diffa before being caught on their way to Nigeria. The first and fourth men allegedly traveled from Borgu to Zaria to receive and deliver the weapons to the suspected operative in a forest hideout.

The five men initially pleaded not guilty but later changed their pleas during the trial. After their guilty pleas, Mrs Nyako convicted all five and sentenced them to 25 years each.

The court also ordered that the Volkswagen Golf used in the operation be given to the Federal Government.

These convictions followed investigations by the SSS into the November 21, 2025, attack on St. Mary’s Catholic School, where armed men abducted students and teachers. While about 50 students escaped, more than 250 were taken into the Kainji Lake Reserve Forest before being rescued on December 24, 2025.

Further investigations revealed what officials called a larger network for logistics and arms supply that supported the attackers, leading to the prosecution of these five men.