Firearms Importer Attempted Suicide, Offers N8m Bribe, Witness Tells Court 

YAHAYA IBRAHIM

A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of five persons accused of illegal importation of 661 pump action into the country has told a court in Lagos how the suspected importer attempted to bribe him with the sum of N8 million. 

The Nigeria Custom had in January this year arrested the accused persons in connection with the importation of the weapons.

The accused persons charged before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos are: Mahmud Hassan, Oscar Okafor, Donatus Ezebunwa Achinulo and Salihu Abdullahi Danjuma, while the fifth accused, Mathew Okoye, is said to be at large.

The office of the Attorney General of the Federation(AGF) had charged them for offence bordering on conspiracy, importation of prohibited firearms, uttering of forged document, corruptly giving bribe to public officials and importation of prohibited goods.

According to the prosecutor, Mr. Julius Ajakaye, the offences 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 resumption of the trial on Thursday, the witness, Abdulahi Muhammad, who was led-in-evidence be the prosecutor , told the court that, when he refused the N8 million bribe offered by Hassan (one of the accused persons ) , after his container marked PONU 825914/3, that transported the guns, the importer threatened to kill himself.

The witness who is a Chief Superintendent of Custom said  “on January 22, 2017, I led a patrol team called ‘Lagos Roving Team, which was headed by Adamu Abubakar. Around 12 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 giving to us by the escort, this made us to suspect the container. It was when they realised that the truck is heading to Ikeja, that the escort started calling the second defendant (Hassan), who told the escort to give us the document.

“Upon receiving the document, I went through it, 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”

Muhammad further stated that when his team got to the 2nd Rainbow area of the Apapa-Mile 2, which is their patrol base, the second defendant arrived the place and became restless, and stated that the container belong to him and that it only container rice.

“When we got to the second rainbow, not up to five minutes,  the second defendant arrived and told us that the container is his,  he also told me that he has rice in the container.

“It was then I called Area Comptroler (AC) Adam, that I had arrested a container, and Mahmud said he is the owner. He claimed to have rice in it,  but in the declaration, it was steel doors,” the witness said.

“Then he started to negotiate me.  He offered me N500, 000, and later increased it to N8 million, I continue to listening to him,  and told my colleagues that what he offered me. When I went back to him, he told me that if I did not take the money he will kill himself. I then called my boss and told him that, and my boss said if he killed himself, I should bring the container and his corpse to him,”he stated further.

During cross-examination by the lawyers to the accused persons, which includes: Danjuma Galadima, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) Mr. Paul Ananaba (SAN) Saliu Ibrahim, the witness stated that he cannot remember the exact date that they all wrote their statement at the DSS office,  as he gave conflicting date on his three statements with the following dates March 23, 2017, January 23, 2017 and March 23, 2017.

He also stated that he did not know if the container pass through the examination at the port before it was released, adding that Hassan was the importer of the cargo not the third accused.

The trial judge,  Justice Ayotunde Faji, has adjourned till Friday for continuation of trial of the accused persons.

Earlier before the trial commence, the prosecutor informed the court of amended charge against the accused persons , and pleaded with the court to allow the new charge to be read to them for their plea to be retaken.

The amended charge marked FHC /L/190c/2017, has the following: Hassan Trade Nigeria Limited, Mahmud Hassan, Oscar Okafor, Donatus Ezebunwa Achinulo, Mathew Okoye (at large) and Salihu Abdullahi Danjuma.