The federal government has filed charges against 10 individuals for allegedly importing prohibited firearms and ammunition into the country.
The charges relate to the recent seizure of 844 firearms and 112,500 rounds of cartridges at the Onne port in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.
According to the four-count charge filed on September 4, the defendants allegedly concealed the firearms and ammunition in plumbing materials in a container with the number MAEU-9165396.
The charge was filed by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, an agency under the Office of the National Security Adviser, on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation.
The 10 are accused of allegedly importing into Nigeria, prohibited 844 firearms and 112, 500 rounds of Cartridges concealed in plumbing materials in a container with number MAEU-9165396 on June 20, 2024, at Onne in Port Harcourt contrary to section 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act 2004.
They are also alleged to have altered a bill of lading of the consignment from Ola Gold Maratine Services to Dan Autos Limited and diverted the movement of the container from the West African Container Terminal to WAX Logistics Limited to cover up the importation of prohibited arms and ammunition contrary to section 1(2) (c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
Ali Samson Ofoma, Okechukwu Gabriel Charles, and others at large are, in count three, alleged to have on June 20, at Onne in Port Harcourt with intent to commit acts of terrorism, transported prohibited weapons and other dangerous substances on board Maersk Vigo Ship with a bill of lading 238921355 conveying a container number MAEU-9165396 into Nigeria.
The alleged act is said to be prejudicial to national security and in violation of the ECOWAS Convention on small arms and lightweight weapons punishable under section 39(1) of the Terrorism Prevention Prohibition Act 2022.
Ofoma and Charles are, in count four, alleged to have on June 20 imported firearms and ammunition on board a Maersk Vigo ship with a bill of lading number 238921355 in a container number MAEU-9165396 without requisite license or authority contrary to section 3(B) of the Firearms Act.
Although the defendants were brought before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Monday, the prosecution could not arraign them because two of them (the defendants) – Augustine John Elechi and Osumini Kennedy (listed as sixth and seventh defendants) were not represented by lawyers.
Elechi and Kennedy however turned down two lawyers – Samuel Ogala and Deji Adeyanju, who volunteered to represent them without payment.
Upon the development, Justice Nwite noted that it would be improper to arraign the defendants without two of them being represented by lawyers.
The judge rescheduled the arraignment for September 12 to give the two defendants time to find their own lawyers.
He ordered that the defendants be returned to the custody of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police Force until the arraignment.
