Court gavel
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced Muhammad Sani to 20 years imprisonment for concealing information about a notorious bandit, Danranmi, an act that enabled the suspect to evade arrest.
Sani, a resident of Nabi Village in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, was convicted on Monday on Counts One and Two of a four-count charge bordering on terrorism-related offences.
The court found him guilty of conspiring to withhold intelligence regarding the whereabouts and activities of the wanted bandit, thereby frustrating efforts by security agencies to apprehend him.
The case followed investigations by the Department of State Services (DSS), which arrested and prosecuted Sani over his alleged role in shielding the suspected bandit.
The trial judge held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and consequently sentenced the defendant to 20 years in prison on the two counts.
The conviction underscores ongoing efforts by Nigerian authorities to clamp down not only on armed bandits and terrorists but also on individuals who provide them with support or conceal critical information that could aid law enforcement operations.
Further details of the judgment and the sentences on the remaining counts were not immediately available.
