Court Jails Three Arms Traffickers in Taraba, Female Courier Pleads Guilty in Abuja

A Chief Magistrate Court Grade 1 sitting in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, has sentenced three individuals arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) to 10 years imprisonment each for arms trafficking, without the option of fine.

The convicts — Sakina Garba, Ali Gono, and Ibrahim Abdulrashid — were apprehended by DSS operatives between January and February 2026 following intelligence reports on an arms trafficking network operating in the area.

According to security sources, the suspects were intercepted along the Wukari–Jalingo road while attempting to transport arms and ammunition concealed in two sacks filled with food items.

Recovered items from the suspects included one AK-47 rifle, 984 rounds of 7.6mm ammunition, 105 rounds of 7.82mm ammunition, and 14 AK-47 rifle magazines. Security operatives also recovered three Point of Sale (POS) machines and ₦200,200 in cash from the suspects.

Investigations revealed that the weapons were allegedly being transported from Bantaje village in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State to a suspected bandit kingpin.

Meanwhile, in a related development at the Federal High Court in Abuja, a female suspect, Halima Haliru Umar, who was also arrested by DSS operatives, pleaded guilty to illegal possession of 302 rounds of live ammunition.

During the court proceedings, DSS operatives presented the recovered ammunition and other exhibits as evidence before the court.

The presiding judge, Justice Haliluwa Joseph Yilwatda, subsequently adjourned the matter until May 8, 2026, for sentencing.

Earlier, a DSS witness told the court that the suspect was arrested in Plateau State while attempting to courier the ammunition to a notorious bandit leader. The witness tendered the recovered ammunition, investigation report, the defendant’s statements, and cash found in her possession as evidence.

Security sources noted that the arrests and prosecutions form part of ongoing efforts by the DSS to dismantle arms trafficking networks fueling banditry and terrorism across Nigeria.