YAHAYA IBRAHIM
Justice Muslim Sule Hassan of a Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the remand of an hotelier, Oliver Nwodo, in prisons custody for allegedly having two pump action Guns and 400 cartridges without lawful authority.
The hotelier who was arraigned before the court for the alleged offence by the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID), Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos, is to be in custody, pending when his bail application will be heard, the judge said.
The FCIID had arraigned the accused on two counts charge of unlawful possession of firearms.
According to the police, in the charge numbered FHC/L/339c/2017, the accused was on August 22, 2017, at Alaba International Market, Lagos, arrested with two pump action guns marked 9266 and 7061, and 400 cartridges, which he was unable to give satisfactory account of how he acquired.
The prosecutor, Morufu Animashaun, of the General Investigation of FCIID, told the court that the offences are contrary to and punishable under section 3(1) of the firearms Act. Cap. R11, and section 428 of the Criminal Code Cap. C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
However the hotelier pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Following his not guilty plea, the prosecutor, applied to the court for a trial date and urged the court to remand the accused in prisons custody, till the determination of the case.
But his lawyer, M. Y. Ogundele, informed the court of the accused person’s bail application and therefore urged the court for a date to hear the application.
In his ruling on the submission of both parties , Justice Hassan, ordered that the accused person be remanded in prisons custody, pending the hearing and determination of his bail application.
The matter was therefore adjourned till December 5, for argument on his bail application.