We gave police, DSS N1M to move 661 riffles - Suspect

The Nigerian Police and men of the DSS have been called out as beneficiaries of N1million paid to facilitate the release of

Mahmud Hassan, one of five men being tried for alleged importation of guns into the country, made this allegation in a recorded video played by the prosecution in court on Monday, February 19, 2018.

Hassan said he and his group paid N1 million to security agents to smuggle in gun consignment through Apapa Port, Lagos.

In a report by TheCable, the video, was said to be recorded while Hassan gave his statement in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).

The trial-within-trial

The presiding judge of the case, Ayokunle Faji, had ordered a trial-within-trial following claims that the accused made their previous statements under duress.

Yakubu Galadima, the accused’s counsel, argued he made the statement understand torture and Justice Faji ordered a trial-within-trial conducted to test the voluntariness of the statement.

Hassan's statement

“I gave N1m to facilitate the moving of the container out of the port, but it is not because of the guns.

“The examiners were given N200,000; C.I.O., N100,000; enforcement, N200,000; police, SSS, between N20,000, N25,000, and N30,000; the toll gates, N200,000, exit gate, N20,000, and final gate, N50,000,” he said.

ALSO READ: 2 Customs officers declared wanted over seized rifles

In January 2017, customs seizes 661 pieces of pump-action rifles

In January, customs seized 661 pieces of pump-action rifles which came from China at the Lagos port. These guns were hidden with steel doors and other goods. The AK47 rifles were concealed in 49 boxes.

The Comptroller-General of Customs, Hameed Ali, told journalists on January 30, 2017 the Federal Operations Unit intercepted the consignment which had left the port along Mile 2 Apapa Road, Lagos.

Three suspects were arrested in connection with the smuggling.

Hassan is being tried alongside Oscar Okafor, Donatus Achinulo, Matthew Okoye — reportedly at large — and Salihu Danjuma.

They were first arraigned by the federal government in June 2017, for allegedly importing 661 pump-action rifles from Turkey into the country illegally.

2 Customs officers declared wanted over seized rifles

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) declared two of its officers wanted for allegedly clearing a container loaded with 661 pump action guns at the Apapa Port in Lagos State.

ALSO READ: All the times illicit weapons were seized

In a statement released by the service, the officers, Abdullahi I, with service number 44483 ASC, and Odiba Haruna Inah, with service number 133386, reportedly fled after the weapons were uncovered inside a container loaded with steel doors by the operatives of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Ikeja.

The missing officers were said to be the ones who connived with the smugglers to clear the container at the port and immediately the guns were uncovered, they went into hiding.