Russians on Trial Over Illegal Arms’ Importation Freed......huummmmmmmm
Nigerian Guardian
Lagos
October 9, 2013
Nigerian government yesterday withdrew charges of unlawful importation of arms into the country levelled against 15 Russian sailors at the Federal High Court, Lagos.
The accused were charged on four-counts bordering on unlawful importation of firearms to Nigeria, as well as non-disclosure of content of vessel.
When the case was mentioned, the prosecutor, Mrs. Usman Hajara, informed the court of an amended charge before it.
She told the court that charges had been dropped against all previous accused, adding that the amended charge now reflected the names of a Nigerian, Stanley Chineye and his company, Maritime Services Ltd.
She, therefore, prayed the court to withdraw the initial charge reflecting the names of the accused, their vessel and their company, Moral Security Group Ltd, and substitute it with the amended charge.
The trial judge, Justice James Tsoho, accordingly struck out the charge containing the names of the Russians and adjourned the case to November 26 for trial of the new accused.
The accused were first arraigned on February 19 before Justice Okechukwu Okeke now retired.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and Justice Okeke released them on bail to the Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, while the vessel was admitted to bail in a bond of $500,000 to be obtained from First Bank Plc.
The case was then transferred to Justice Tsoho following the retirement of Okeke.
At their arraignment, the prosecutor had told the court that the defendants were arrested with their vessel by Naval officers on October 18, 2012, in Lagos State.
He said the defendants had entered the Nigerian territorial waters with their vessel, without due licence and clearance from the Nigerian Customs Service.
According to the prosecutor, the accused had also refused to declare the content of the vessel contrary to the provisions of the Customs and Excise Management Act, 2002.
He said that when the vessel was arrested and opened by the Naval officers, a cache of firearms and ammunitions was discovered in it.
He said the alleged offences contravened the provisions of Section 27 of the Firearms Act, Cap F28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as well as the provisions of the Miscellaneous Offence Act, Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
In the new charge, the said Chineye was alleged to have acted as agent to the Russian vessel and had allegedly misrepresented to them, that he had duly obtained licence from the Nigerian Navy, for the entrance of the vessel into Nigeria, an assertion he allegedly knows to be false.
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