Court sentences bandit leader's mother, sister to 20 years

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday sentenced the mother and sister of a slain bandit leader to 20 years imprisonment each for terrorism-related offences. The women, Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi, pleaded guilty to aiding and concealing the activities of Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo, who was killed by security forces in Kogi State earlier this month.

Justice Hauwa Yilwa delivered the judgment after the defendants admitted guilt to three of five charges brought by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation. The court discharged them on two counts alleging they received 490,300 naira from Battujo, knowing it was proceeds of terrorism, and that they accepted sponsorship for a Hajj pilgrimage from funds linked to terrorism. The Director of Public Prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo, had applied for those counts to be struck out.

The convictions were based on charges that the women aided Battujo by passing information to him through telephone conversations and that they concealed critical information from security agencies. Salihu, the mother, admitted to concealing information about her son's terrorism activities despite possessing details that could have led to his...