Illegal Importation Of Firearms: FG Urges Court To Dismiss Defendants’ Bail Applications
The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Wednesday, urged a Federal High Court, Lagos, to dismiss the bail applications filed by the two businessmen, Ayogu Great James and Ifeuwa Moses Christ, who were charged before the court for unlawful importation of 1570 pump action rifles into the country.
They were charged with conspiracy, illegal and unlawful importation of firearms, altering of Customs’ forms, forgery and false declaration.
The prosecutors, Mr. Julius Ajakaiye and Shehu Bodinga, a Director and an Assistant Director in the Federal Ministry of Justice, respectively, told the court during their arraignment that the offences are: contrary to and punishable under Section 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 had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
At the resumed hearing of the defendants’ bail applications Wednesday, their lawyer, Mahmud Mogaji (SAN), Wale Adesokan (SAN), urged the court to admit their clients to bail in the most liberal terms, as the prosecution has not been able to contradict all the disposition in their affidavits.
The two Senior lawyers told the court that the only prosecution’s contention to their clients’ affidavits was an Appeal Court’s decisions which stated that once a case is of national Security, no bail should be granted.
The two silks while urging the court to admit their clients to bail also stated there was no proof that the defendants would interfere with the witnesses or repeat the offences.
They therefore urged the court to discountenance the prosecutors’ counter-affidavits to their clients’ bail application and admit them to bail in the most liberal terms.
Responding to the defendants’ bail applications, the the prosecutor, Mr. Ajakaiye, urged the court to dismiss the bail applications on the ground of National Security.
Ajakaiye who cited two Federal High Court decisions and an Appeal Court’s decision, said similar bail applications on related offences, were dismissed of the ground of National Security.
Ajakaiye particularly told the court that the third defendant, Ifeuwa Christ, the alleged shipper of the illegal firearms, was elusive for more than a year and that he was arrested by the Customs and other security agencies.
Ajakaiye vehemently pleaded with the court to discountenance the bail applications and dismiss same accordingly.
Justice Saidu had adjourned the matter till November 21, for ruling on the defendants’ bail applications.
Meanwhile, the co-accused listed in the charge, Emeka Umeh Festus also known as Amankwa, was brought before the court Wednesday, for arraignment.
But the court ordered that he should be remanded in prison custody pending when the AGF will bring consolidate the charge against all the defendants.
All the defendants were arraigned before the court in a charge numbered FHC/L/339c/18, conspired among themselves between September 6 to 20, 2017, to illegally and unlawfully import a total of 1570 pump action rifles into Nigeria, through Apapa Seaport, Lagos.
The defendants were alleged to have loaded the said 1570 pump action rifles in two 1× 20 feet containers marked GESU 2555208 and CMAU 1878178.
During their arraignment, the prosecutor, Ajakaiye informed the court told the court that the defendants and others now at large, in a bid to illegally and unlawfully bring in the weapons, altered and forged a bill of lading, issued in July 28, 2017, to read Guandong, China, instead of Istanbul, Turkey, which was written on the conveying container.
