COURT SENTENCES GANA’S ALLEGED SPY TO 40 YEARS IN PRISON OVER SECURITY INTELLIGENCE

By NaijaParrot October 22, 2026 

 ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Sunday Frank, a man from Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, to 40 years in prison for providing intelligence to the late militia leader Terwase Akwaza, popularly known as Gana. Frank was convicted after pleading guilty to a charge alleging that he monitored the movements of security operatives and supplied information to Gana, who was associated with violent criminal activities in Benue State. Justice Hawa Yilwa delivered the sentence following proceedings in which the Federal Government prosecuted the defendant on a four-count charge. According to the prosecution, Frank’s activities included gathering information about security personnel and passing it to the late militia leader.

The Federal Government accused Frank of offences under Sections 21 and 24 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. The charges included allegations relating to abduction and the provision of information to Gana. Court proceedings indicated that Frank denied the first three counts, which concerned allegations of abduction, but pleaded guilty to the fourth count relating to providing intelligence to the militia leader. Following his plea, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, asked the court to strike out the counts to which the defendant had pleaded not guilty. The court granted the application, leaving the fourth count for determination. The prosecution subsequently presented a witness who testified that he was part of the team responsible for investigating the defendant. 

 In his submission, Fagbemi urged the court to convict Frank on the count to which he had pleaded guilty. The Attorney-General relied on the defendant’s plea, his alleged confession and exhibits presented during the proceedings. After considering the prosecution’s submissions and the evidence before it, Justice Yilwa found Frank guilty of the offence. The court sentenced him to 40 years in correctional custody, with the sentence to run from the date of his arrest. 

 In addition to the prison term, the court directed that Frank should undergo a rehabilitation programme after completing his sentence. The directive forms part of the court’s orders in the case, which was heard within the framework of the ongoing mass trial of suspects facing terrorism-related charges. Gana, whose full name was Terwase Akwaza, was a notorious militia figure associated with violent criminal activities in parts of Benue State. He was killed by Nigerian troops in September 2020. The conviction highlights the legal consequences that can follow the provision of intelligence to armed groups, particularly where such information is used to monitor the movements of security personnel. 

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