Court Convicts Three In Jalingo, Hands 10-Year Jail Term For Illegal Arms Deal

A Chief Magistrate Court Grade I sitting in Jalingo has convicted and sentenced three individuals to 10 years imprisonment each, without the option of a fine, for arms trafficking.

The convicts, Sakina Garba, Ali Gono (also referred to as Alim Goni in some reports), and Ibrahim Abdulrashid were arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) between January and February 2026.

Security sources said the trio was intercepted along the Wukari-Jalingo road while transporting arms and ammunition concealed in two sacks of food items.

The items originated from Bantaje village in Wukari Local Government Area and were intended for delivery to a bandit kingpin who remains at large.

Recovered exhibits included one AK-47 rifle, 984 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 105 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition (noted variably as 7.82mm in initial details), 14 AK-47 magazines, three POS machines, and N200,200 in cash.

The arrests stemmed from intelligence that exposed the suspects’ plan to supply weapons to bandits amid ongoing security challenges in the region.In a related development, Halima Haliru Umar, another suspect arrested by the DSS, pleaded guilty before a Federal High Court in Abuja to a four-count charge involving the illegal possession of 302 rounds of live AK-47 ammunition.

The ammunition, recovered from her in Plateau State, was allegedly being couriered to a notorious bandit leader. DSS witnesses tendered the exhibits, investigation report, her statements, and recovered cash as evidence.

Justice Hayatu Joseph Yilwatda adjourned the case to May 8, 2026, for sentencing.

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