Court Fixes Date To Inspect Smuggled 1570 Pump Action Guns

 Justice Saliu Saidu of a Federal High Court, Lagos, Tuesday, fixed May 5, for the inspection of 1570 pump action gums, which were allegedly smuggled into the country by three businessmen and a company.

The court fixed the date after the fourth prosecution witness in the trial gave his evidence before the court Tuesday.

The businessmen who allegedly smuggled the weapons into the country on between September 6 and 20, 2017, are: Ifeuwa Moses Christ, Ayogu Great James, Emeka Umeh Festus, who is at large and a limited liability company,  Great James Oil and Gas Limited.

men of the Nigerian Customs Service, Tincan Port, Terminal delivered to him two containers containing for save keeping.

The fourth prosecution witness, Mohammed Usman Hassan, an Assistant Comptroller of Customs, while being led-in-evidencr by My. Julius Ajakaiye, a Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Justice, said on October 20, 2017 two containers brought by men of the NCS Tincan Port Unit, Slaps, Lagos and handed over to him for save keep at the Custom Bonded Warehouse, Federal Operation,  Ikeja, Lagos.

Hassan who is in charge of the Customs Warehouse, Ikeja, Lagos said on 100 percent examination of the first container, it contains among others, 1,100 Pump Action Rifles concealed with sanitary wares like washing hand basins , while the second container contained 470 Pump Action Rifles concealed with Plumbing materials.

The witness said after the 100 percent examination of the containers and the counting of the guns, he signed a handover note which was tendered and admitted as exhibit.

After the tendering of the handover note, counsel to the prosecution Mr Julius Ajakaiye, a Deputy Director with the Ministry of Justice, made an application to move the court to the locus sincro ( scene of events) for the court to inspect the containers and the items physically.

Consequent upon his application, Justice Saliu Saidu adjourned the matter till May 5, for the court to move to the Locus Sincro.

It would be recalled that at the last adjourned date, the third prosecution witness,  Mr. Ayodele Joseph Rotimi, a Chief Superintendent of Customs (CSC), who was led in evidence by the prosecutor, told the court how on September 2017, at about 3 pm a call came through from the the Customs Intelligence Unit, CIU, that a container was found at terminal B1, of the Tincan Island Port, Lagos laden with arms and that the Enforcement Unit should mobilised men and materials to the site.

He said on getting to the place, the container was found opened and that his team also confirmed that the container actually contained arms.

Ayodele said his team then requested for a letter to be made to the Terminal Manager to provide logistics to transfer the container to the Enforcement Unit. Added that the container was subsequently transferred same day at about 6 p.m necessitating the shifting of the 100 percent examination till the next day.

The witness further stated that during examination, the entire content of the container was off loaded and stocks taken while the serial numbers of each of the rifles were taken.

Ayodele said that after the discovery of the arms-laden container, the Customs observed a trend of containers coming in from Turkey and that this necessitate the Area Comptroller of Customs directing his men to be on top alert by ensuring that the manifest of all cargoes from Turkey are properly scrutinised.

The witness said that while keep watching of cargoes coming from Turkey, another container bearing the name of the first consignee , Great James Oil Gas Limited was also discovered. He said the country of the two containers was Turkey, adding that while the first container contained 1,100 Pump Action Rifles, the second container contained 470 Pump Action Rifles.

Ayodele added that after counting and taking stocks of the items in the containers with the serial numbers of the rifles written, the Area Comptroller directed that the two containers be handed over to the Federal Operation Unit (FOU) of the Nigerian Customs Service, Ikeja, Lagos, where the items in the containers were recounted and the serial numbers of the rifles re-confirmed and a handing over and taking over letter was signed.

The Nigeria Customs Services (NCS) through the Office of Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) had earlier arraigned three men and a company before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, for allegedly importing 1,570 pump action rifles into the country illegally.

They were accused of conspiracy, illegal importation of firearms, forgery and altering of Customs’ import documents.

The offences, according the prosecutor, Julius Ajakaiye, a Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Justice, are contrary to and punishable under Sections 3(6), 1(14)(a), 1(14)(a)(i), 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap. M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecutor said the defendants conspired among themselves between September 6 to 20, 2017, illegally and unlawfully imported a total of 1, 570 pump action rifles into Nigeria, through Apapa Seaport, Lagos.

He also told the court that the accused loaded the said 1,570 pump action rifles in two 1× 20 feet containers marked GESU 2555208 and CMAU 1878178.