Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A Federal High Court sitting in Katsina State has sentenced a woman, Hauwa'u Mukhtar, to death by hanging after the Department of State Services (DSS) successfully prosecuted her for conspiracy to commit terrorism, as well as aiding and abetting terrorist activities, security sources have confirmed. The judgment, delivered on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, by Justice A.B. Bawale of High Court No. 3, Katsina, marks the second death sentence secured by the DSS in the month of June, following the conviction of four men on June 3 for their roles in the 2022 Owo church attack.
Mukhtar was arrested by DSS operatives on September 16, 2023, at Jibia Motor Park in Katsina State while allegedly attempting to transport a large consignment of ammunition. According to the charge sheet, she was found in possession of 438 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, which she intended to deliver to one Ado, a notorious bandit kingpin operating within Dunburum Forest in Zamfara State. The DSS filed a two-count charge against her before the Katsina court, accusing her of conspiracy to commit terrorism and aiding and abetting terrorist activities.
During the trial, the prosecution presented witness testimonies and exhibits to establish that Mukhtar was part of a logistics network supplying arms to bandits terrorising communities in Zamfara and Katsina states. After evaluating the totality of evidence, witness testimonies, tendered exhibits, and final addresses of both prosecution and defence counsel, the court held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, finding Mukhtar guilty on both counts. Justice Bawale subsequently sentenced the convict to death by hanging in accordance with the provisions of the Penal Code Law of Katsina State, 2021.
A security source described the successful prosecution as a significant milestone for the DSS, demonstrating its capacity to not only intercept criminal actors but to follow through with decisive legal action that results in landmark convictions. The ruling comes just over a month after another Federal High Court in Abuja convicted and sentenced Halima Haliru Umar to 20 years imprisonment for unlawful possession of 302 rounds of AK-47 live ammunition and attempting to provide support for acts of terrorism, marking the second conviction of a female arms courier secured by the DSS this year.
The conviction of Hauwa'u Mukhtar sends a strong signal that the security agencies are intensifying efforts to dismantle the logistics and supply networks that sustain banditry and terrorism in the North-West. By targeting individuals who transport arms and ammunition to criminal enclaves, the DSS and the judiciary are demonstrating that those who facilitate violence will face the full weight of the law. For the communities of Zamfara and Katsina, which have endured years of bandit attacks, the judgment offers a measure of justice and a warning to others who might consider following the same path.
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