A Federal High Court sitting in Katsina State has convicted and sentenced a female arms courier to death by hanging.
The convict, Hauwa’u Mukhtar, was arrested by the Department of States Security (DSS) on September 16, 2023.
Hauwa’u was apprehended at Jibia Motor Park in Katsina while attempting to transport 438 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition to one Ado, a notorious bandit kingpin operating in Dunburum Forest, Zamfara State.
Following her arrest, the DSS arraigned the convict ona two-count charge before High Court No. 3.
After evaluating the totality of evidence, witness testimonies, tendered exhibits, and final addresses of both prosecution and defence counsel, the presiding judge, Justice A.B. Bawale, held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, finding Mukhtar guilty on both counts.
The judge, according to a security source, subsequently sentenced the convict to death by hanging in accordance with the provisions of the Penal Code Law of Katsina State, 2021.
“The successful prosecution is a significant milestone for the DSS, demonstrating its capacity to not only intercept criminal actors but to follow through with decisive legal action that results in landmark convictions.’, the source said as quoted in a post shared on X.
According to reports, the development is coming barely a month after a Federal High Court in Abuja convicted and sentenced one Halima Haliru Umar to 20 years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of 302 rounds of AK-47 live ammunition and attempting to provide support for acts of terrorism marking the second conviction of a female arms courier secured by the DSS this year.