The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced Muhammad Sani, an associate of notorious bandit and arms supplier Danranmi, to 20 years in prison for terrorism-related offences.
Justice Emeka Nwite delivered the judgment on Monday after finding Sani guilty of concealing information that could have assisted security agencies in apprehending Danranmi, who is alleged to supply arms and ammunition to kidnappers and bandit groups.
Sani was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), which subsequently prosecuted him before the court.
Delivering the verdict, Justice Nwite convicted the defendant on counts one and two of the charge brought against him.
The court sentenced him to 20 years’ imprisonment on each of the two counts.
The judge ruled that the prison terms would run concurrently, meaning the defendant will serve both sentences at the same time.
Justice Nwite also declined to grant the convict the option of paying a fine in place of the custodial sentence.
In addition, the court ordered that the sentence should take effect from January 11, 2023, the date on which Sani was arrested.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the Department of State Services had filed a four-count charge against the defendant.
The charges were based on alleged terrorism-related offences linked to his association with Danranmi and his failure to disclose information capable of leading to the arrest of the suspected bandit leader.
According to the prosecution, the offences are contrary to the provisions of Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The charges are punishable under Section 16(1)(b) of the same legislation.
The conviction represents another effort by security agencies to dismantle criminal networks believed to be supporting banditry and kidnapping operations across parts of the country through the supply of weapons, logistics and intelligence.
