RADP / Pulse Nigeria > News > Local

5 in court over illegal arms importation

Samson Toromade

June 14, 2017 4:46 PM

The 661 pump-action rifles imported from Turkey had arrived at the Apapa Port in Lagos in January.

Illegal arms.

The Federal Government arraigned five men for the illegal importation of arms on Wednesday, June 14, 2017 at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

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The accused; Mahmud Hassan, Oscar Okafor, Donatus Achinulo, Matthew Okoye, and Salihu Danjuma, pleaded not guilty to charges against them.

The 661 pump-action rifles imported from Turkey had arrived at the Apapa Port in Lagos in a 40-feet container that was claimed to contain steel doors from Shangai, China.

The officials of the Nigerian Customs intercepted the container on January 30.

To prevent an appropriate search of the container, first accused, Hassan allegedly bribed government officials at the port with the sum of one million naira.

The prosecuting counsel on the case, K.A. Fagbemi applied for a date to start the trial.

JusticeAyokunle Faji fixed September 12, 2017 as the date to commence the trial.

One of the accused, Okoye, is still at large.

At the recommendation of the prosecutor, all the accused are being remanded in custody until the date of the trial.