Three Arms Traffickers Sentenced in Taraba State

A chief magistrate court in Jalingo, Taraba State, sentenced three individuals—Sakina Garba, Ali Gono, and Ibrahim Abdulrashid—to 10 years in prison for illegal arms trafficking, without the option of a fine. They were arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) in January and February 2026, following intelligence reports about their plan to transport arms for a notorious bandit leader.

The suspects were apprehended along the Wukari-Jalingo road while attempting to move weapons concealed inside two sacks of food items. The security source disclosed that the suspects were caught with an AK-47 rifle, 984 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 105 rounds of 7.82mm ammunition, and 14 AK-47 rifle magazines.

In a related development, Halima Haliru Umar, a female courier, pleaded guilty to charges of illegal possession of ammunition in a federal high court in Abuja. She was arrested with 302 rounds of live ammunition, allegedly intended for delivery to a bandit leader.

Her case has been adjourned until May 8.