A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced a woman, Halima Haliru Umar, to 20 years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of 302 rounds of AK-47 ammunition and attempting to support acts of terrorism.
Justice Hauwa Yilwa, who delivered the judgment on Friday, held that the convict was guilty based on her admission to two counts in a four-count charge filed by the Department of State Services.
Umar had, upon her arraignment on March 11, 2026, pleaded guilty to counts three and four of the charge bordering on illegal possession of ammunition and rendering support for terrorism. The DSS had arrested her in Plateau State.
The court noted that by her guilty plea, the defendant admitted to the facts presented by the prosecution and did not challenge the evidence against her.
Following her conviction, defence counsel, Hamza Dantani, urged the court to exercise leniency, describing the convict as a first-time offender who showed remorse.
He further told the court that Umar is a nursing mother of a one-year-old child, who was with her at the time of arrest, and appealed for mercy.
However, prosecution counsel, Caliistus Eze, informed the court that although the defendant had no previous conviction record, the charges against her were serious.
In her ruling, Justice Yilwa sentenced Umar to 20 years’ imprisonment on count three and one year on count four.
The court subsequently adjourned proceedings till July 9, 2026, for the commencement of trial on counts one and two, to which the defendant had pleaded not guilty.
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