Court jails terrorist kingpin Battujo’s mother, sister for 40 years

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced the mother and sister of notorious terrorist leader Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo to 40 years imprisonment each for their involvement in supporting his criminal operations.

Justice Hauwa Yilwa delivered the judgment on Friday after the two defendants, Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi, admitted guilt to terrorism-related offences brought against them by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation.

Battujo, a notorious bandit kingpin, was killed by security operatives on June 10, 2026, after an unsuccessful attempt to abduct a large number of students sitting for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination in a forest area near Iluke in Kogi State’s Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area.

The court found both women guilty on three out of five charges levelled against them. Among the offences was aiding Battujo’s terrorist activities by transmitting information to him through telephone communications, an offence punishable under Section 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Safiya, who is Battujo’s mother, was also convicted for failing to report information about her son’s activities despite visiting his forest hideout and allegedly seeing him armed with weapons.

Halima, his sister, was similarly found guilty of concealing information that could have assisted security agencies in apprehending the terrorist leader.

Parts of the charge read, “That you HALIMA ABDULLAHI and SAFIYA SALIHU, Female, adult, of Dungun Muaza Sabuwa LGA, Katsina State sometime in 2026 at Katsina State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did commit an offence, when you received the sum of four hundred and ninety thousand, three hundred Naira only (N490,300) from Battujo a known terrorist, which sum you reasonably ought to know formed part of the proceeds of Terrorism, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under the section 21 of the Terrorism (Prevention Prohibition) Act, 2022.

“That you HALIMA ABDULLAHI and SAFIYA SALIHU, Female, adult, of Dungun Muaza Sabuwa LGA, Katsina State sometime in 2026 at Katsina State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did commit an offence, when you aided and abetted the activities of Battujo a known bandit Kingpin and passed information through telephone conversations to the said Battujo, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

Although the defendants pleaded guilty to counts two, four and five, they were cleared of counts one and three, which accused them of receiving N490,300 from Battujo while allegedly knowing the money originated from terrorist activities.

The acquittal on those counts followed an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Oyedepo Rotimi (SAN).

Justice Yilwa noted that each of the offences for which the women were convicted attracts a prison term of 20 years. However, the court ordered that the sentences run concurrently, resulting in a 40-year jail term for each convict.

The court further directed that the two women undergo appropriate correctional and rehabilitation programmes while serving their sentences.