Gun smuggler Hauwa'u Mukhtar receives capital punishment in Katsina

A female arms courier, Hauwa'u Mukhtar, was sentenced to death by hanging by the Katsina State High Court 3 on Monday, after being found guilty of conspiracy, aiding and abetting terrorism.

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This conviction marks the second death sentence secured by the Department of State Services for terrorism-related cases in June, as revealed by an investigation.

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Mukhtar was arrested by operatives of the DSS on September 16, 2023, at Jibia Motor Park in Katsina State, while attempting to transport 438 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition to a notorious bandit kingpin, Ado, operating in the Dunburum Forest area of Zamfara State.

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A staff of the state Ministry of Justice, familiar with the case, disclosed that Mukhtar was arrested with 430 bullets, which she had transported to bandits in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State, and that she confessed during interrogation.

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According to the source, the DSS Chief Prosecutor, Barrister Abubakar, prosecuted Mukhtar up to the judgment before Justice Abbas Bawale of High Court 3, Katsina, resulting in her being sentenced to death by hanging for a two-count charge.

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Mukhtar, in her statement, mentioned several bandit leaders she was dealing with after her divorce, revealing that her new boyfriend had connected her with the bandits to supply them with logistics worth hundreds of thousands of Naira.

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The DSS arraigned the suspect on a two-count charge before High Court No. 3 in Katsina, presided over by Justice A. B. Bawale, who considered the evidence presented, witness testimonies, exhibits tendered, and final addresses by both the prosecution and defence counsel.

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The court subsequently found Mukhtar guilty on both counts and sentenced her to death by hanging, in line with the provisions of the Penal Code Law of Katsina State, 2021.

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The successful prosecution is seen as 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.