Three Arms Traffickers Bag 10 Years Each After DSS Seizes RPGs in Gombe; Conviction Comes Just 7 Days After Landmark Arrest

The Federal Government has delivered a stinging blow to the logistics of banditry in North-Eastern Nigeria. On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, a Federal High Court in Gombe sentenced three men to a combined 30 years in prison for arms trafficking, concluding a trial that lasted only one week from the moment of their high-profile arrest by the Department of State Services (DSS).

The convicts Muhammed Alhaji Mohammed, Sani Gesha, and Ardo Hamma Ari were at the heart of a sophisticated “State of Harmony” breach that saw heavy-duty weaponry being moved across state lines. Their journey ended abruptly last Tuesday at Mararaban Tula, where DSS operatives, acting on three weeks of covert surveillance, intercepted their vehicle. Hidden within the frame of the car were two Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) warheads and a launcher—tools designed for high-intensity conflict rather than petty crime.

The court heard how the syndicate “flipped the script” on local security by moving arms under the guise of regular travel. However, the meticulous intelligence gathering by the secret police ensured that the weapons never reached their intended destination in Alkaleri, Bauchi State. Beyond the arms, the operation also led to the heart-warming rescue of six-year-old Mohammed Jabir, a kidnap victim who had been held by a member of the group.

In delivering the judgment, the court emphasized that the 10-year sentences were a reflection of the national emergency regarding illegal arms. Justice B. M. Shinkafi noted that the swift resolution of the case should serve as a warning to other suppliers fueling regional instability. For the people of Gombe and Bauchi, the sentencing marks a rare moment of “Renewed Hope” as a major weapon-supply chain is officially dismantled and its operators sent behind bars.