Family of Slain Bandit Kingpin Sentenced to 40 Years for Terrorism
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday sentenced Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi, the mother and sister of the late bandit kingpin Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo, to 40 years in prison each. Justice Hauwa Yilwa handed down the sentences after the women pleaded guilty to charges of aiding and abetting terrorist activities by passing information to Battujo and failing to report his criminal operations to law enforcement.
Investigations revealed that the convicts had visited Battujo in his forest camp and witnessed him in possession of firearms, yet they deliberately concealed this intelligence from security agencies. According to the court documents, the defendants utilized telephone conversations to assist the kingpin in his operations, a direct violation of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The court dismissed two additional counts against the women that had accused them of receiving proceeds of terrorism, including funds for Hajj pilgrimage sponsorship, after the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, applied for those specific charges to be struck out. The defense and prosecution focused the final judgment on the proven acts of facilitation and non-disclosure.
Battujo, who was a notorious figure in regional banditry, was killed by security forces on June 10, 2026, in the forests near Iluke, Kogi State. The conviction of his immediate family members marks a significant legal development in the ongoing efforts to dismantle the support networks that sustain banditry and terrorism in the country.
