A magistrate court grade 1 in Jalingo, Taraba State, has handed down 10-year prison terms to three individuals over arms trafficking. The convicts are Sakina Garba, Ali Gono, and Ibrahim Abdulrashid were apprehended by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) between January and February 2026 along the Wukari-Jalingo road with weapons hidden inside two sacks of food items.
The DSS recovered an AK-47 rifle, 984 rounds of 7.6mm ammunition, 105 rounds of 7.82mm ammunition, 14 AK-47 magazines, three POS machines, and N200,200 in cash during the operation.
A security source revealed the trio was transporting the arms from Bantaje village in Wukari LGA of Taraba for delivery to a bandit leader who remains at large.
Meanwhile, Halima Umaru, a suspected arms courier, has pleaded guilty at the Federal High Court in Abuja to charges brought by the DSS. She was arrested in Plateau State with 302 live rounds of ammunition intended for a person identified as Sani. Evidence presented to the court included the ammunition, investigation reports, the defendant’s statements, and recovered funds. Presiding Judge Haywa Yilwatda adjourned Umaru’s sentencing to May 8.
The DSS has stepped up nationwide operations against criminal networks, recently arresting suspects connected to attacks on the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Aiyetoro, Kabba/Bunu LGA of Kogi State, and the June 5, 2022, attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
