Court Sentences Mother and Sister of Former Terrorist Leader Battujo to 40 Years in Prison

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi, the mother and sister of the slain terrorist kingpin Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo, to 40 years of imprisonment for terrorism‑related offences. The convictions followed their arrest by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Both women were found guilty of aiding terrorist activities and concealing information that could have helped security agencies locate and apprehend the notorious bandit leader before his death. Battujo was eliminated by Nigerian security forces on 10 June 2026 after a failed attempt to abduct and attack students taking the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in a forest near Iluke, in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.

Justice Hauwa Joseph Yilwa delivered the judgment on Friday, convicting the two women on counts two, six and five of a five‑count terrorism charge filed by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation. Counts one and three were struck out after the Director of Public Prosecution, Mr Oyedepo Rotimi, SAN, applied for their withdrawal.

The withdrawn counts alleged that the defendants received N490,300 from Battujo, knowing it to be proceeds of terrorism, and that they benefited from sponsorship for a Hajj pilgrimage funded with those proceeds.

Count two charged that the women aided and abetted Battujo by passing information to him through telephone conversations, an offence punishable under section 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Safiya Salihu also pleaded guilty to count five, which related to concealing information about her brother’s terrorist activities. Halima Abdullahi pleaded guilty to count four, which concerned her failure to report firearms allegedly possessed by Battujo after visiting his forest camp.

Both women were sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment on each of the counts for which they were convicted, with the sentences to run concurrently. The judge also directed that the convicts undergo rehabilitation after serving their prison terms.