A Chief Magistrate Court Grade 1 sitting in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State, has convicted three persons arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) for arms trafficking.
The convicts, Sakina Garba, Ali Gono, and Ibrahim Abdulrashid, were each sentenced to 10 years in prison without the option of a fine.
The three suspects were arrested between January and February 2026 following intelligence reports about their involvement in transporting illegal weapons.
Security sources said the suspects were planning to move arms and ammunition from Bantaje village in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State to a suspected bandit kingpin.
They were intercepted along the Wukari–Jalingo road with weapons concealed inside two sacks of food items.
According to security officials, the suspects were found with one AK-47 rifle, 984 rounds of 7.6mm ammunition, and 105 rounds of 7.82mm ammunition hidden in the sacks.
Authorities also recovered 14 AK-47 rifle magazines, three point-of-sale machines, and N200,200 in cash from the suspects.
In a related development, a woman identified as Halima Haliru Umar appeared before a Federal High Court in Abuja after being arrested by DSS operatives for illegal possession of ammunition.
She pleaded guilty to possessing 302 rounds of live ammunition when the exhibits were presented in court.
The trial judge, Justice Haywa Joseph Yilwatda, adjourned the case until May 8 for sentencing.
Earlier during the hearing, a DSS witness explained that the suspect was arrested in Plateau State while carrying the ammunition, which investigators believe was meant for delivery to a notorious bandit leader.
The witness also presented the recovered ammunition, the investigation report, the suspect’s statements, and the cash recovered during the arrest.
Security officials said the arrests highlight ongoing efforts by the DSS to disrupt arms supply networks linked to banditry and terrorism in Nigeria.
