A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the remand of a 30-year-old man, Ogunjimi Mayowa, at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre over allegations of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke issued the remand order following Mayowa’s arraignment by the Department of State Services (DSS) on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and illegal possession of a locally made pistol and three live cartridges.
During proceedings, prosecution counsel, Mr. M.O. Bajela, informed the court that Mayowa was apprehended on June 11, 2024, during a routine stop-and-search operation by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) while travelling in a commercial bus along the Lekki-Ajah axis.
According to Bajela, the NDLEA operatives discovered the firearm and ammunition concealed on the defendant. He was subsequently handed over to the DSS for further investigation and prosecution.
Mayowa was accused of conspiring with unnamed individuals and being in possession of a locally made pistol and three live cartridges without a valid licence offences which the DSS said contravene and are punishable under Sections 3, 8, and 27(1)(a) and (b)(ii) of the Firearms Act, Cap F28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 (as amended).
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all three charges.
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As the defence had yet to file a bail application, the prosecution requested that the defendant be remanded and a trial date be fixed. Granting the request, Justice Aneke adjourned the matter until November 6, 2025, for trial.
In a confessional statement obtained by the DSS, Mayowa allegedly identified himself as a member of the Gani Adams faction of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC).
He admitted purchasing the firearm for N25,000 and the cartridges at N2,000 apiece from an associate known as “Solution Armani.”
Mayowa further disclosed that the weapons were used in land-grabbing operations across Lagos and Ogun states.
He explained that the operations were divided into two phases: “flushing” a daytime raid allegedly involving armed police officers to evict occupants and “pindown,” where OPC members would remain on the land to establish control.
He claimed the firearm was used solely for self-defence during these operations in case of violent resistance.
Authorities have yet to confirm the identities of Mayowa’s alleged accomplices, and investigations are ongoing.
