Nigerien Man Jailed in Abuja for Supplying AK-47 Ammo for Terrorism

The Federal High Court in Abuja has sent a Nigerien man, Muhammad Ibrahim, to jail. This happened on Friday after he was accused of transporting 170 rounds of AK-47 ammunition for terrorist activities in Katsina State.

Judge Salim Ibrahim ordered that Mr Ibrahim be held at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja. He pleaded not guilty to four charges. These include terrorism and fraud linked to obtaining a Nigerian identification number, known as the National Identity Number (NIN).

Mr Ibrahim was arrested by the State Services Service (SSS). He entered his not guilty plea during the court session on Friday. His lawyer, Kauna Penzin, said they did not oppose the arraignment.

After the plea, prosecution lawyer Abdulazeez Saidu asked the court to keep Mr Ibrahim in custody until the trial starts. The Judge then postponed the case to 16 November for the trial to begin.

The four charges against Mr Ibrahim include transporting ammunition unlawfully, helping terrorist groups logistically, not reporting gunrunning activities, and fraudulently getting a Nigerian identity card.

The first charge claims that Mr Ibrahim, who lives in Madawa Uwala, near Jihar Tawa School in Niger, carried 170 rounds of live AK-47 ammunition hidden in a cooler. He allegedly delivered this to Imrana Halilu in Dankama village, Katsina State, in February 2025.

The second charge says he knowingly supported terrorist groups by moving ammunition to further their activities. The third charge states that Mr Ibrahim had information about gunrunning but did not share it with law enforcement. This was despite knowing that the information could help catch those involved.

The SSS stated that these actions are against the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. The fourth charge claims he fraudulently got a Nigerian identity card issued by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) linked to a National Identification Number (NIN) (71298898372).

The prosecution noted that the fourth charge is punishable under Section 22 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.