Illegal Possession Of Firearms: Police Thwart Attempt To Stop Jolapamo’s arraignment

Several attempts to stop the arraignment of the founding President of the Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA), Chief Isaac Jolapamo, may have hit a brick wall, as Nigeria Police Force, and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN), have informed the court of their readiness to prosecute him for Illegal possession of firearms.

The embattled former NISA President had through his lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana SAN, approached a sister court, presided over by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa to seek an order of interim injunction restraining IGP, AGF either by themselves, servants or privies from arranging him via charge No. FHC/L/404C/22 over illegal possession of firearms at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, pending the final determination of the origination motion.

However, it appears that all attempts to frustrate Jolapamo’s arraignment before the court may have been nipped in the bud, as the Nigeria Police informed the court that necessary documents would be filed and presented in court to show why his arraignment should not be hindered.

Insiders revealed that instead of serving court hearing notice at the Special Fraud Unit, SFU, Alagbon, where the charge against Jolapamo emanated, hearing notice issued by the court was intentionally served at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti.

It would be recalled that a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos had fixed December 2, 2022 when the embattled former ship owner (Jolapamo), will be arraigned over alleged illegal possession of firearms.

But, several attempts to arraign the shipping magnate before the court were stalled due to his absence in court.

When the matter was mentioned, Police prosecutor, Anthony Iyeye, told the court that the matter was for arraignment and for the Defendant to take his plea.

However, Jolapamo’s counsel, Mr. Femi Falana SAN told the court that the defendant has been hospitalised, due to undisclosed ailment hence he was not present in court to take his plea.

Nonetheless, the prosecutor insisted that the defendant must be brought to court, and that he was not aware of his ailment.

Consequently, the presiding Judge Yelin Bogoro adjourned the suit till December 2, 2022 for the defendant to be arraigned.

In the 3-count charge number FHC/L/404c/22 filed before the court, it was alleged that Chief Isaac Jolapamo was in possession of several Firearms namely, Mar-22 Calibre Rife, pump-action firearm, and a Double-barrell, all without lawful authorisation.

The charge as filed against the defendant: “That you Mr. Isaac Jolapamo ‘M‘, sometime in March 2021 in Ikoyi, , Lagos State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit a felony, to wit; unlawful possession of Mar-22 Calibre Rifle with reference number 967475; you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 3, and punishable under section 27(1)(a)(i) of the Firearms Act.

“That you Mr. Isaac Jolapamo ‘M’, sometime in March 2021 in Ikoyi, Lagos State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit a | felony, to wit; unlawful possession of Pump-Action with reference number 9331425, you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 4 and punishable under section 27(1)(b)(i) of the Firearms Act.

“That you, Mr. Isaac Jolapamo ‘M’, sometime in March 2021 in Ikoyi, Lagos State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit a felony, to wit: unlawful possession of Double-barrell gun; you thereby ‘committed an offence contrary to section 4 and punishable under section 127 (1)(b)(i) of the Firearms Act.”