One of the men who illegally imported 661 pump action guns in January 2017 had been smuggling guns into the country since 2012, according to Department of State Services (DSS).
Wale Odu, Head of Investigation of DSS, disclosed this on Monday while giving evidence in the trial of five accused persons, charged before Justice Ayotunde Faji of the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The five persons are standing trial over the unlawful importation of 661 pump action guns into the country.
The Nigeria Customs Service had on June 14, 2017, arraigned two Customs Officers, Muhmud Hassan, and Salisu Abdulahi Danjuma, alongside Oscar Okafor, Donatus Ezebunwa Achinulo, and Matthew Okoye, before Justice Ayotunde Faji’s court on charges bordering on illegal importation of firearms, conspiracy, forgery and altering of documents, offering of graft to government officials and importation of prohibited goods.
Narrating his interactions with each of the accused persons, the Head of DSS investigation said: “On February 2017, 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 container containing the rifles and steel doors.
“Also, a truck with number BDG 265 SD, used in carrying the container, along with the pump action rifles.
“I and my team, which include Saheed Adetunji, Fola Oni, Bolaji Adeyemo, and others.
“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 meetings at Southern Sun Hotel, Kingsway Road, Ikoyi, where he agreed to collect N4 million for the clearance of the container.
“And that in one of the meeting, Oscar told him that the container is carrying pump action rifles, which was the reason for charging him N4 million.”
He also told the court that the second accused confessed to him that he paid N1 million to the fourth accused, Danjuma Abdulahi, to ensure 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 (ACC), he had illegal ways of shielding the container from 100 percent inspection.
According to him, the second accused told him that after the interception of the container, he called Oscar and told him that some millions would be required to prevent it from being taken to Customs office, so that the content (the pump action rifles) would not be discovered.
He said sequel to the refusal of men of Nigeria Customs to collect the money, the container was taken to where 100 percent investigation was conducted in his presence, and the 661 pump action rifles were discovered.
The witness also disclosed that the second accused confessed to him of bribing men of Customs with N400, 000, which he claimed to have collected from the third accused, Okafor Oscar, which the Customs Officers refused to accept.
On his interaction with the third accused, Okafor Oscar, also known as Okafor Osita, the DSS Head of Investigation said the accused confessed to him that he participated in loading the container in Turkey, with one Okoye Matthew (now at large).
He added that Oscar handed over a falsified bill of lading to Hassan Mahmud for clearance of the container in Nigeria.
The witness also told the court that the accused confessed to him that he had series of meetings with the second accused at Southern Sun Hotel, Ikoyi, on how to handle the container.
He added that he had been doing the business of importation with the second accused for years.
He mentioned the name of Donatus Ezenbuwa Achinulo as a partner in the business of importation of arms, and Matthew Okoye (now at large), as a partner in arms smuggling business from Turkey to Nigeria.
On his interaction with the fourth accused, Danjuma Abdulahi, the witness stated that the accused confessed collecting N1 million from the second accused, Hassan Mahmud, to facilitate the clearance with the examination of the container.
The witness also said the accuses confessed giving two men of the Nigeria Customs Service, who managed the gate of Apapa Seaport, Emmanuel Silas and Abiodun Taiwo, the sum of N100, 000, after telling them that the container had no valid papers.
He said the accused confessed to him that no examination was conducted on the container.
The Head of DSS investigation team also told the court that the sixth accused, Donatus Achinulo, revealed to him that he had been in the business of illegal arms importation since 2012, and confessed that he had been doing the business with the third accused, Okafor Oscar.
According to him, the accused confessed to him that the second accused, Hassan Mahmud, was the person that cleared most of the illegal arms imported into the country.
He said after his interaction with all accused persons, both Hassan Mahmud and Okafor Oscar volunteered to write statements, while Danjuma Abdulahi and Donatus Achinulo, on request, asked Saheed Adetunji and Fola Oni, to take down their statements.
Hassan Mahmud’s lawyer, Yakubu Galadima, raised an objection to the tendering of client’s statement by the prosecution on the ground that the statement was obtained under duress.
Counsel to the other accused, which includes Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Paul Ananaba (SAN), and Abdulahi, also aligned themselves with Galadima’s submission.
Justice Ayotunde Faji adjourned the matter till Wednesday, January 24, for trial-within-trial, and continuation of trial of accused persons.
In the charge number FHC/L/190c/17, all the accused persons were alleged to have conspired with one another to illegally import into Nigeria 661 pump action rifles.
They were also alleged to have forged the documents which include two bills of lading.
