A witness, simply identified as “ABC,” on Friday, told the Federal High Court in Abuja how the notorious bandit kingpin, Kachalla Halilu, purchased a gun truck 🚒 from Niger Republic to perpetrate terrorist acts in Nigeria.
ABC, the first prosecution witness (PW-1) in the ongoing trial of four suspects also linked to fleeing bandit leader Bello Turji, made the revelation while being led in evidence by the Federal Government’s lawyer, David Kaswe, before Justice Emeka Nwite.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the four suspected terrorists were, on Dec. 23, 2024, arraigned on an 11-count charge bordering on terrorism by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
The suspects, Musa Kamarawa, Abubakar Hashimu, a.k.a. Doctor, Samuel Chinedu and Lucky Chukwuma, however, pleaded not guilty to the counts, and the judge ordered their remand in Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing and determination of their bail plea.
NAN reports that Justice Nwite rejected their bail applications and ordered an accelerated hearing of their trial.
Besides, the judge granted an ex-parte motion moved by Kaswe, seeking the protection of the witnesses and identifying them with pseudonyms.
The Federal Government, through the office of the AGF, had filed the 11-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/633/2024 against the eight defendants, four of whom were at large.
In the charge filed on Dec. 16, 2024, by M.B. Abubakar, Director, Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Musa Muhammad Kamarawa; Abubakar Hashimu, a.k.a. Doctor; Samuel Chinedu and Lucky Chukwuma were sued as 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th defendants.
Bashir Abdullahi, Bello Turji, Aminu Muhammad and Sani Lawal, who were all at large, were sued as the third, sixth, seventh and eighth defendants, respectively.
In count one, Musa Kamarawa; Abubakar Hashimu, aka Doctor; Bashir Abdullahi; Samuel Chinedu; Lucky Chukwuma; Bello Turji (at large); Aminu Muhammad (at large) and Sani Lawal (at large), sometime between 2018 and 2022 in Sokoto State, were alleged to have conspired among themselves to commit the terror act.
They were alleged to have provided material services to terrorist groups led by Turji, Kachalla Halilu, Danbokolo, Lawali, Atarwatse, Buderi and others by procuring and supplying illicit drugs, including penta injections and cannabis plants (aka Indian hemp); food items; military and police uniforms, camouflage.
They were also alleged to have supplied boots, caps and building materials, including bags of cement, cover zinc, bags of nails, M.M. iron rods, etc., to terrorist camps in the forests located in Zamfara, Sokoto and Kaduna States.
The offence was said to be contrary to Section 17 of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013 and punishable under the same section of the Act.
In count four, Kamarawa, Muhammad (at large) and Lawal (at large), sometime in 2021 in Sokoto State, allegedly aided and abetted the commission of acts of terrorism by acquiring a military gun truck from Libya and supplying same to a terrorist, Kachalla Halilu, at a cost of approximately N28.5 million (28,500,000).
They were alleged to have paid for the gun truck partly in cash and partly via electronic transfer.
The Federal Government said the offence was contrary to Section 18 (a) of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013 and punishable under the same section of the Act.
The prosecution also said the offence was contrary to Section 8 (1) (b) of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013 and punishable under the same section of the Act.
Giving his testimony on Friday in Hausa Language, PW-1 said out of the four suspects in the dock, he only knew Musa Kamarawa, whom he called his childhood friend.
“Sometimes, between 2021 and 2022, Musa is my childhood friend. He called me on the phone and told me that he wanted me to accompany him to Kano for the wedding fathia (ceremony) of the daughter of the DSS Director of Sokoto Command.
“I prepared myself on Friday, and I met him at his house. When I went to his house, I met him with one of his friends, Sani Lawal Jibia (8th defendant).
“Musa told me that we are going together with Sani. We used Musa’s Honda Accord 2018 Model car. Sani Jibia was the one who drove us to Isa Local Government in Sokoto State.
“We went to the local government chairman’s house, and we met him in his house.
“Musa and the local government chairman excused themselves. I didn’t know what they were discussing.
“When they finished their discussion, Musa brought the key to the Hilux car.
“He told us that we were going with the Hilux and leaving his car in the chairman’s house. We left around 4 pm to Katsina State.
“When we arrived in Katsina the same day, we proceeded to Kano.
“We arrived in Kano in the night and we started looking for hotel,” he said.
The witness said he and Sani Jibia lodged in the same hotel while Musa went and rented an expensive hotel in Kano.
“We slept in the hotel and left there around 11:30 in the morning and went to the venue of the wedding fathia.
“After the wedding, we left the place around 12 noon. We proceeded to the wedding reception,” he said.
He said they left for Sokoto State after the wedding but had a stopover in Katsina.
“When we arrived in Katsina, we decided to sleep there because we could not make it to Sokoto that very day.
“In the morning, around 10 am, we started our journey to Sokoto.
“We followed the road to Jibia, Zurmi, and Kaura Namoda Local Government.
“When we went to Kaura Namoda town, Musa told us that he wanted to go and bring something.
“We went to their house; I, Musa and Sani Lawal. We greeted his in-laws. From Kaura Namoda, we started our journey to Shinkarfi Local Government Area.
“On our way to Shinkarfi Local Government, Musa started calling unknown persons.
“He told us that he was talking with Kachalla Halilu. He said he wants to go and receive message from Kachalla Halilu,” he said
The PW-1 said they stopped and prayed when they got to Shinkarfi Local Government.
“We stopped at one Alhaji Lawali Shop. We prayed there and drank water, then we started our journey again,” he added.
He said after Shinkarfi, they got to a village called Galadi, where they met a military checkpoint.
“Musa told Sani to stop at the checkpoint because Sani was the one that drove the car,” he said.
He said after they left the checkpoint, Musa called Kachalla Halilu and asked him where to stop.
He said Kachalla told Musa they should pull up where they normally stop.
“When we arrived at the place, Musa told Sani to stop since he was driving.
“We were there when, for some time, Kachalla came out of the forest with his boys.
“We were there less than 100 metres and Kachalla called Musa that he has arrived. Musa went and met him but I didn’t know what they discussed.”
According to him, after they finished their discussion, Musa returned with money in black leather.
“Kachalla and his boys were well armed with guns and blindfolded themselves (they covered their faces) and went back to the forest.
“But Kachalla was the only person that did not cover his face.
“After that, we turned back to the military checkpoint. Musa stopped there and gave some money to the military men.
“From there, we started our journey to Sokoto,” he said.
The ABC said that on their way, Musa told them that he and Sani Lawal would accompany him to Cotonou, Benin Republic, to buy a Peugeot 406 car.
He said Musa told them they would be going by flight.
“He told us that we would go to Lagos first before going to Cotonou.
“The two of us agreed that there is no problem since we are going by flight. After 6 pm, we arrived in Sokoto and went directly to Musa’s house.
“After eating food in Musa’s house, I went to my house. I left Musa in his house together with Sani Lawal because Lawal used to sleep in Musa’s house,” he said.
He said Musa called him after some days, and when he got there, he met him and Sani in his parlour.
He said Musa told him he would go to the Old Market to confirm the exchange rate of the naira to the cefa.
“After he called, he said it was expensive.
“He then called Ilela, a border town between Nigeria and Niger Republic. He said the price there was cheaper than the Old Market price.
“He called one of his nephews, Abdulmalik, who stays in the house.
“He told Abdulmalik that he would send him to Ilela and that he would give him someone’s number so that when he gets there, he should call him.
“Musa went to his room and brought the money that he received from Kachalla,” he said.
When the Federal Government’s lawyer asked him the currency of the money, he said it was in naira.
“He did not tell us the amount of the money. He gave Abdulmalik the money and transport fare to go to Ilela.
“From there, I wanted to go home, and he gave me N20,000 to buy food.
“I didn’t know when Abdulmalik came back from Ilela,” he said.
The witness said Musa called him and told him they would be going to Cotonou on Friday and that the naira had been converted to cefa.
However, He said Musa told him they would be going by road because the flight was expensive.
“Musa called Aminu (7th defendant), his elder brother, because Aminu always went to Cotonou.
“Aminu came from Kamarawa to Sokoto. In the morning, when we were going to Cotounu, we went to where we usually get a car: Kamba Local Government in Kebbi State.
He said he, Musa, Aminu (7th defendant) and Sani (8th defendant) went together.
“When we arrived in Kamba, we reached a village called Doli Kaila. From Doli Kaila, we entered a canoe to Lolo in the Benin Republic.
“From there, we chartered a car to Malabe; from Malabe, Musa Chartered a car to Cotonou directly.
“We arrived in Cin Cotonou around 9 p.m. We went to look for a hotel. Musa told the driver we would hire his car back to Malabe when we returned to Sokoto.
“That night, Aminu, the elder brother of Musa, called one agent. In the morning, the agent came. We entered the motorcycle to where they sell the cars.
“We went there to check out a 406 hash colour car. We went to the owner of the car, who is Lebanese.
“They agreed to sell the car at 1.8 million cefas. The Lebanese gave us 200 cefas as our shares.
“I, Sani Lawal and Amina Muhammed shared the money,” he said.
The PW-1 said Musa then asked the agent where they could get a gun truck called “Koke or Buffalo.”
“We were taken to a place where the car was sold.
“We saw the car (gun truck). We asked the price, and we were told it was 25 million cefas. Musa told us it was too expensive; we could not buy it.
“Musa asked Aminu to call one of his friends who do business together to ask him where we could get the car.
“That person, I didn’t know him, told Aminu we could get the car in Libya.
“That Libya car has a seria number, that Nigerian Customs (officers) don’t allow such a car (gun truck) to enter Nigeria when they see it,” the witness said.
He, however, said Aminu’s friend told them that they could get the new gun truck in Gaya, Niger Republic.
“All these discussions happened in Cotonou before we came back,” he said.
According to him, Musa called Aminu, his elder brother, to find somebody who could drive the 406 car from Gaya to Nigeria.
The lawyer asked the witness to tell the court what happened in Niger Republic.
He said: “We arrived there on Sunday and it was a work free day. When we entered, we saw the cars (gun trucks), many in Gaya, Niger Republic.”
He said Musa called someone they did not know.
“He met us at Malabe, and we went to Gaya together.
“Musa entered the car's front seat, and Sani Lawal, Aminu, and I entered the back seat.
“They called the owner of the car. Musa, his elder brother, and the person who took us there started discussing the price with the car's owner.
“They left Sani Lawal and me because they didn’t want us to know the price of the car.
“After they have finished discussing about the car, Musa came to the car and took the money. He count the money. The money was not complete,” he said.
When Kaswe asked if Musa later bought the gun truck, the witness said: “Yes, he bought the gun truck.”
The witness described how the gun truck was delivered to Musa: “We left Aminu, Musa’s elder brother, there because he knows the road.
“Aminu was the person that delivered the car to Nigeria,” he said.
On what Musa did with the gun truck when it arrived in Nigeria, the PW-1 said: “He called me that I should come and escort him that he wanted to go and greet his mother and he would also deliver the gun truck to Kachalla Halilu.”
He said when they got to Kachalla Halilu’s camp at Sububu Forest, they (Kachalla and his boys) started shooting guns into the air in a celebration mood.
“They started shooting guns, that their car had arrived.
“I was afraid, and Musa started laughing. That's why I am afraid,d and I told him that I don’t used to hear the sound of guns like this,” he said.
When the lawyer asked him what happened next, the witness said the bandits started taking photographs with the gun truck.
“They delivered the gun truck to him (Kachalla) 2and stood by the car (gun truck) to start snapping pictures,” he said.
He said he took pictures with Kachalla Halilu, Musa and the gun truck.
“Sani Lawal snapped pictures with Kachalla Halilu again. I snapped together with someone who I didn’t even know.
“After the photograph, we left the forest, went to Shinkarfi, and entered a Hilux car to Sokoto.
“On our way, Musa gave me N200, 000 and also gave Sani N200, 000,” he said.
When the lawyer asked him how he got to the police station when he arrived in Sokoto, the witness said, “When we arrived in Sokoto, I went to my house, Musa went to his house, and Sani Lawal went to Musa’s house.
“After some months, I was told that Musa was arrested.
“Musa’s wife called me and said Musa told her that I should switched off my phone before the police would come and arrest me.”
When he got to the police station, the PW-1 said, “In the morning, I reported myself to the state CID, Sokoto Command. I went to the state’s CID Command, where I met a policeman and was investigated.”
Justice Nwite adjourned the matter until May 23 and May 26 for cross-examination and continuation of trial.