By Lukman Olabiyi
Justice Ayotunde Faji of the Federal High Court Lagos has heard how the alleged importer of 661 pump-action rifles attempted to bribe officer of Nigeria Customs Service ( NCS ) of N8 million.
This was revealed to the judge by a prosecution witness, Abdulahi Muhammad, in the trial of five accused persons charged with illegally importing 661 units of pump action rifles into the country, sometimes in January.
The accused persons are: Mahmud Hassan, Oscar Okafor, Donatus Ezebunwa Achinulo and Salihu Abdullahi Danjuma, while the fifth accused, Mathew Okoye, is said to be at large.
They are tried by the Office of Attorney-General of the Federation, on charges of conspiracy, importation of prohibited firearms, altering of forged document, corruptly giving bribe to public officials and importation of prohibited goods.
The offences according to the prosecutor, Mr. Julius Ajakaye, are contrary to sections 3(6),1(14)(a) (I), 1(2)(c) and 98A (1)(b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
At the resumed trial of the accused persons Thursday, the prosecutor, Mr. Ajakaye, informed the court of amended charge against them, and pleaded with the court to allow the new charge be read to them for their plea to be retaken.
The amended charge has Hassan Trade Nigeria Limited, Mahmud Hassan, Oscar Okafor, Donatus Ezebunwa Achinulo, Mathew Okoye (at large) and Salihu Abdullahi Danjuma.
The prosecution witness, Abdullahi, a Chief Superintendent of Customs in evidence told the court that, when he refused the N8 million bribe offered by Mahmud, after his container marked PONU 825914/3, that transported the guns, the importer threatened to kill himself.
He said: “on January 22, I led a patrol team called ‘Lagos Roving Team, which was headed by Adamu Abubakar. Around midnight, we sighted a container on Apapa-Mile 2 Bridge, and we intercepted it.
“As at the time of interception, the Customs Clearance document, was not given to us by the escort, this made us to suspect the container. It was when they realized that the truck is heading to Ikeja, that the escort started calling the second defendant Mahmud, who told the escort to give us the document.
“I went through it and three things made me to suspect the container. First was that, in the declaration, it was stated that the container carries 225 doors, and a container of 40 feet carries more than that. Also, the origin of the container, which was Turkey, the door that comes from Turkey are security doors, not steel doors, and lastly, the Customs duty paid which was N1.170,628 million, the duty paid was not enough for the clearing.”