..Trial delayed for Iranian in Nigerian over illegal arms shipment seized in Nigeria.
ABUJA (AFP) – The trial of an alleged Iranian Revolutionary Guard over an illegal arms shipment seized in Nigeria was delayed on Monday, with prosecutors seeking to have the case moved from the capital to Lagos.
Prosecutors withdrew charges against Azim Aghajani and a Nigerian suspect in a court in Abuja and said they had filed the case in Lagos, where the arms were seized in October.
Charges were dropped against two other Nigerians accused in the case, but no reason was given.
The case has drawn international concern since the illegal arms shipment could violate UN sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme.
"Charges are already pending against the two of them at the federal high court, Lagos, and we have it on good authority that the case is slated for hearing this week," prosecutor Moses Idakwo told the court in Abuja.
Judge Hafsat Soso agreed to drop the case in Abuja, but Aghajani's lawyer sharply criticised the move.
"This smacks of extreme bad faith on the part of the prosecution," Chris Uche said. "This is persecution and not prosecution."
Prosecutors indicated they wanted to move the case to Lagos because the seized arms to be used as evidence in the trial were still there and could not be moved to Abuja.
Officers from Nigeria's secret police, the State Security Service, took away Aghajani and the Nigerian suspect after the hearing.
Last week, Aghajani's lawyers alleged that the SSS had not released the Iranian despite a bail order granted on December 23 and that they had launched a legal challenge to his continued detention. The SSS has not commented.
Aghajani and the three Nigerians had been charged in connection with a shipment of 13 containers of weapons loaded at the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas and seized by Nigerian officials in Lagos in October.
After the containers arrived in Nigeria, the shipper asked to have them reloaded and sent to Gambia, a tiny west African country wedged inside Senegal.
Nigeria reported the seizure to the UN Security Council, which has approved four sets of sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme. The sanctions include a ban on arms sales.
A UN panel of experts on sanctions on Iran recently flew to Nigeria to investigate the weapons shipment.
Iran has said the shipment was sent by a private company.
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.9 CommentsShow: Newest FirstOldest FirstHighest RatedMost Replied Post a Comment 2 users liked this comment
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Please sign in to rate this comment down. 1 users disliked this commentEmmy Sat Nov 13, 2010 03:07 pm PST Report Abuse seems the weapons were destined for IBB so he can cause massacre in January 2011 if he losses the Nigeria Quasi-Elections. Mr Amadinajad's fellow Muslim. Muslin in the north, the cancer of Nigeria chaos in Independence.Reply.2 users liked this comment
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Please sign in to rate this comment down. 1 users disliked this commentangryguest2002 Thu Nov 11, 2010 10:18 pm PST Report Abuse The United Nations should not be a toothless dog like its predecessor, The League of Nations. The UN should show zero tolerance to Hitlerite statesmen and terrorists. The UN should not wait until someone unleash the World War III. The UN should cut the noose before it can be drawn tight. A word is enough for the wise.Replies (2) .2 users liked this comment
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Please sign in to rate this comment down. 3 users disliked this commentresident Thu Nov 11, 2010 05:51 pm PST Report Abuse Iran FM holds talks in Nigeria after illegal arms shipment.
Is the penalty for failier still the same in Iran?
The consignee and the clearing agent had been arrested.
Breaking news for friday------consignee and clearing agent found dead. Now who will it be to answer up to the grand Allatolla of Iran?Reply.2 users liked this comment
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Please sign in to rate this comment down. 4 users disliked this commentriprap Thu Nov 11, 2010 05:29 pm PST Report Abuse Iran and North Korea or twins that should have common borders. The world will be a better place with these two brothers.Replies (1) .4 users liked this comment
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Please sign in to rate this comment down. 4 users disliked this commentPasargod Thu Nov 11, 2010 05:26 pm PST Report Abuse Iran will never back down, the only time in Iran's contemporary history that happened was during the Qajar dynasty king Fatah Ali Shah. It is embedded as one the worst events in Iran's history when Russians invaded Iran. He backed off to keep his throne and gave the Russians Azerbaijan and the caucuses. It will never ever happen again, so for those who say military option is on the table, better be ready to take it all the way with the Iranians, so don't be fooled to another war folk.Replies (1) .1 users liked this comment
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Please sign in to rate this comment down. 0 users disliked this commentlittlered Thu Nov 11, 2010 04:23 pm PST Report Abuse Nothing in the article clearly states what the subject of the "bi-lateral" issue was. I suppose we are to assume it's the weapons, but there is nothing concrete mentioned here.Reply.3 users liked this comment
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Please sign in to rate this comment down. 3 users disliked this commentSteve Thu Nov 11, 2010 04:20 pm PST Report Abuse he should have been arrested, and imprisoned for aiding Islam terrorist groups with weapons alone, I wonder how much money the terrorists there get each year like hamas, and hezbolloh
Their president should have been arrested while he was in New York City, mouthing off his hate of the free world, and as actually not the real president, illegal vote counting, so the other guy is actually president of Iran, this guy, is a terrorist, private citizen, no diplomatic immunity, ha-haReply.2 users liked this comment Please sign in to rate this comment up.
Please sign in to rate this comment down. 4 users disliked this commentOneWorld Fri Oct 29, 2010 06:22 pm PDT Report Abuse When mahmud ahmadijad the purported iranian ruler visited Nigeria, i knew something evil will soon happen.
Here is a man who has chosen the path of destruction, a tyrant who came to power thru dubious means and continue to unleash evil in the form of nuclear enrichment. Until the rest of the world join forces with the U.S to stop his evil plots.........
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