A Federal High Court in Abuja has handed down 20-year sentences to two women tied to slain terrorist chief Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo. Justice Hauwa Joseph Yilwa delivered the verdict on Friday.
Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi received the sentences for terrorism-related crimes. Salihu is Battujo's mother, while Abdullahi is his sister.
Battujo died during a security operation on June 10, 2026. Nigerian forces killed him near Iluke in Kogi State's Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area.
Both women pleaded guilty to three of the five counts against them. They were convicted on Counts 2, 4, and 5.
Counts 1 and 3 didn't stick. Those charges involved receiving N490,300 from Battujo, knowing it came from terrorism proceeds.
Count 3 also covered a sponsored pilgrimage funded by terrorism money.
The Director of Public Prosecution, Oyedepo Rotimi, SAN, asked the court to dismiss those two counts. He urged conviction on the remaining charges.
Count 2 alleged they helped Battujo's activities as a bandit kingpin. According to prosecutors, they passed information to him via telephone calls.
This violated section 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention Prohibition) Act, 2022. Both women admitted their guilt on this charge.
Safiya also confessed to Count 5 charges. She concealed information about her son's terrorism activities, according to the court.
Halima admitted to Count 4 as well. She hid facts about her brother's illegal firearms acquisition after visiting his forest camp.
Each count carries a 20-year penalty on its own. Justice Yilwa ordered the sentences to run concurrently instead of consecutively.
After serving their time, both women will undergo rehabilitation programs. The Department of State Services arrested them during investigations into Battujo's network.
Security operatives had been tracking the slain kingpin's support system for months. His mother and sister's roles in that network proved decisive.
The conviction marks another blow to remnants of Battujo's terror network. Authorities continue pursuing other associates linked to the criminal organization.
