Oladimeji Ramon
The trial of five men who were accused of illegally importing 661 pump-action guns into the country was stalled on Wednesday as the counsel for the first and second defendants, Mr. Yakubu Galadima, sought “a short adjournment.”
Galadima told Justice Ayokunle Faji that he was ill and could, therefore, not cross-examine an operative of the Department of States Services, Jaiye Emmanuel, who testified in the case during the previous hearing.
The other counsel in the case conceded to Galadima’s prayer for an adjournment.
Justice Faji, consequently adjourned further proceedings in the case till March 19, 27, 28 and 29, 2018.
The defendants in the case are Mahmud Hassan, Oscar Okafor, Donatus Achinulo, Matthew Okoye, said be at large, and Salihu Danjuma.
They were arraigned on June 14, 2017 on eight counts before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
In the charges, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice said the accused brought 661 pump-action rifles into the country from Turkey through the Apapa Port in Lagos, using a 40-feet container, which they falsely claimed contained steel doors.
To facilitate the illegal importation, the accused allegedly forged a number of documents including a bill of lading, a Form M and a Pre-Arrival Assessment Report.
According to the prosecution, in order to evade payment of Customs duty, the accused allegedly forged a bill of lading issued at Istanbul on January 9, 2017, falsely claiming that it was issued at Shanghai, China.
In the forged bill of lading, they allegedly filled “steel door” as the content of the container instead of rifles.
They were also said to have allegedly offered a bribe of N400,000 to an official of the Nigeria Customs Service attached to the Federal Operative Unit to influence the said officer not to conduct a “hundred per cent search on the 40-feet container with number PONU 825914/3.”
The prosecution also alleged that the first accused, Hassan, corruptly gave N1m to government officials at the Apapa Port in order to prevent the search of the container by Customs officials.
In the last count, the Federal Government alleged that the defendants had between 2012 and 2016 illegally imported several double-barreled shotguns, pump-action rifles and single-barreled shotguns into the country through Lagos.
The eight counts pressed against them border on conspiracy, importation of prohibited firearms, forgery, uttering of forged documents, and bribery.
The offences were said to be contrary to sections 1(2)(c), 1(14) (a)(i) and 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2014.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
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source http://punchng.com/illegal-firearms-importation-lawyers-sickness-stalls-suspects-trial/
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