The Department of State Security,
DSS, has informed a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, that one of the
importers of 661 pump action guns, illegally imported into the country, had
been in the business for 12 years.
Customs had on June 14, 2017,
arraigned two Customs Officers, Muhmud Hassan and Salisu Abdulahi Danjuma,
alongside Oscar Orkafor, Donatus Ezebunwa Achinulo and Matthew Okoye, before
Justice Ayotunde Faji’s court, on charges bordering on illegal importation of
fire arms, conspiracy, forgery and altering of documents, offering of graft to
government officials and importation of prohibited goods.
On Tuesday, Mr. Wale Odu, Head of
Investigation of DSS, testified at the trial of the five accused persons,
charged before Justice Ayotunde Faji, for unlawful importation of 661 pump
action guns into the country, by Nigeria Customs Services, NCS.
Odu was led in evidence by the
prosecutor, Mr. Julius Ajaikaye.
He said, “on February, 2017, the
DSS took over the case of illegal importation of firearms from the Nigeria
Customs Services, while taking over the case, the two defendants, Hassan Mahmud
and Okafor Oscar, also known as Okafor Osita, were handed over to DSS for
investigation of illegal importation of 661 pump action rifles.
“Also a 40 feet container
containing the rifles and steel doors and a truck with number BDG 265 SD, used
in carrying the container, along the with the pump action rifles. I and my
team, which includes: Saheed Adetunji, Fola Oni, Bolaji Adeyemo, and others
spoke with the suspects.
“I interacted with the second
defendant, Hassan Mahmud, who told me that he is a sole director of Hassan
Trade Nigeria Limited, which is the consignee and importer of the illegally
imported 661 pump action rifles.
“In respect of the container, he
and Oscar had several meeting at Southern Sun Hotel, Kingsway Road, Ikoyi,
where he agreed to collect N4 million for the clearance of the container. And
that at one of the meeting, Oscar told him that the container is carrying pump
action rifles, which was the reason for charging him N4 million.”
The witness also told the court
that the second accused confessed to him that he paid N1 million, to fourth
accused, Danjuma Abdulahi, to facilitate the clearance of the container from
Apapa Port, without due process.
He further told the court that
Hassan Mahmud, confessed to him that being an Assistant Comptroller of Customs,
he has illegal way of shielding the container from 100 percent inspection.
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