Man Jailed 20 Years for Alleged Links to Notorious Bandit

(Danranmi. Photo Credit: Vanguard News)

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced Muhammad Sani to 20 years’ imprisonment for conspiring to conceal information about an alleged n0t0rious b@ndit, Danranmi, an act said to have contributed to the suspect’s escape.

Sani, a resident of Nabi Village in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, was convicted on Counts One and Two of a four-count charge bordering on t3rr0rism-related offences.

According to the charges, Sani and Danranmi allegedly conspired to withhold information that Danranmi was a n0t0rious b@ndit who supplied arms and ammunition to kidn@ppers and b@ndits operating in and around Niger State.

He was also accused of failing to disclose to law enforcement agencies that Danranmi was allegedly involved in arms supply, despite reportedly having information that could have helped security operatives apprehend him.

The charges further alleged that Sani conspired with Danranmi to receive ₦580,000 from the fugitive b@ndit for the purchase of 150 rounds of ammunition from a man identified as “Chairman,” despite having reasonable grounds to believe the ammunition would be used to commit offences under the T3rr0rism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

He was also accused of receiving the ₦580,000 meant for the ammunition purchase.

Justice Nwite sentenced Sani to 20 years’ imprisonment without the option of a fine on Counts One and Two, with the sentence backdated to January 11, 2023, the date of his arrest.

He is to serve the term at the Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.

A security source said the conviction forms part of ongoing efforts by security agencies to prosecute individuals who aid b@nditry and t3rr0rism financing by withholding vital intelligence from law enforcement authorities.