The arraignment of ten suspected gun-runners involved in the illegal importation of firearms and ammunition worth N4 billion before the Federal High Court in Abuja has been delayed.
The suspects are to be kept in the custody of the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force until the next adjourned date.
Justice Emeka Nwite gave the remand order while adjourning the arraignment of the gun-runners until September 12 due to a lack of legal representation for the two of them.
The 10 gun-runners are Ali Ofoma, Okechukwu Charles, Kingsley Chinasa, Oroghodo Maxwell, Akinkuade Segun, Augustine Elechi, Osumini Kennedy, Ajala Ojo, Faboro Oluwatimilehin, and Tolulope Ogundepo.
They were arrested in June in connection with the illegal importation of 844 rifles and 112,500 live ammunition worth N4 billion from Turkey.
The rifles and ammunition, loaded in a 40-foot container, were intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service at the Onne Port in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The arms and ammunition were skillfully concealed within items such as doors, furniture, plumbing fittings, and leather bags.
Also Read: FG Arraigns Former US-Marine, Donn Perkins Over Alleged Unlawful Importation of Firearms
When the matter was called for arraignment, eight defendants had lawyers while the 6th and 7th defendants did not have legal representation.
Although activist and lawyer Deji Adeyanju and George Ogala volunteered to represent the two defendants for free, they declined the offer.
The 6th defendant explained to the court that the charges were only served on him on Sunday night, hence, his inability to get his lawyer to accompany him to court.
He insisted that he would get his lawyer to represent him.
The prosecution stated that the defendants knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to illegally import 844 firearms and 112,500 rounds of cartridges concealed in plumbing materials and other items.
They loaded them inside a 40-foot container with registration number MAEU-9165396, committing an act contrary to Section 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
The prosecution also accused the defendants of altering a bill of lading of the consignment from Ola Gold Maratine Services to read Dan Autos Limited and diverting the movement of the container from West African Container Terminal (WACT) to WAX Logistics Limited to cover up their illegal intention to import prohibited arms and ammunitions, an act of uttering of a forged document with the intent that it may be used or acted upon as genuine, contrary to section 1(2)(c ) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
