Two men jailed for illegal importation of 1,570 guns
A Federal High Court in Lagos, on Wednesday, convicted and sentenced two businessmen Ifeuwa Christ and Ayogu James, to two years imprisonment, for unlawful importation of 1,570 pump action rifles, into the country.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Alagoa who handed down the sentence, also ordered the convicts to pay N1m on each of the eight counts, as a fine in lieu of the jail term.
The judge delivered the judgment, following the plea bargain agreement reached between the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and counsel for the two convicts, Yakubu Galadima.
The two convicts alongside their company, Great James Oil and Gas Limited, were first arraigned before the court presided over by Justice Salisu Saidu (retd.) sometime in 2018, on eight counts of conspiracy, unlawful Importation of 1,570 pump action rifles, forgery and uttering of customs’ import documents.
The offences, according to the prosecutor, Julius Ajakaiye (now late), are contrary to and punishable under Section 3(6), 1(14)(a), 1(14)(a)(i), 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap. M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
When the convicts’ were arraigned, they pleaded not guilty to all eight counts and Justice Saidu ordered that they should be remanded in prison custody, on the grounds that the charges against them bordered on ‘national security.’
However, upon the retirement of Justice Saidu, the matter was reassigned to Justice Mohammed Liman, now sitting in another jurisdiction of the court.
Following the transfer of Justice Liman to another court jurisdiction, the convicts’ case file was reassigned to Justice Lewis-Allagoa, who started the matter ‘denovo’ (afresh).
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Upon their re-arraignment before Lewis-Allagoa, the convicts signified their interest in changing their earlier not-guilty plea and pleaded guilty to the charges.
At the resumed hearing of the case, last Friday, counsel for the convicts, Galadima, informed the court that his clients and the prosecution had reached a plea bargain agreement.
The terms of the agreement dated and filed April 5, 2024, and endorsed by the convicts and the prosecutor, Mrs Aderonke Imana, who replaced the late Ajakaiye, read: “That the Office of the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation (Prosecution) having had due regard to the nature and circumstances of this case about the convicts and the interest of the larger community.
“Upon conviction by the Honourable Court, sentencing shall be at the direction of the Honourable Court. However, the prosecution recommends a year jail term with effect from the date of arrest on all counts count and to run concurrently.”
Earlier, Imana, while announcing her appearance, told the court that the convicts had reached a plea bargain with the Federal Government and as of April 22, 2024, when the matter came up for a trial, the convicts changed their plea from not guilty to guilty on the eight counts amended charge.
Based on the plea bargain agreement, Justice Lewis-Alagoa sentenced each of the convicts to six years imprisonment, commencing from the date of arrest.
In his judgment, Justice Lewis Alagoa held that the sentence was because the convicts were first-time offenders and the fact that they had been in custody for three years.
He therefore sentenced them to two years imprisonment on each of the eight counts amended charge.
The judge however ordered the convicts to pay the sum of N1m, on each of the counts and also ordered that both the sentences and the monetary fine should run concurrently.
Onozure is a correspondent of The PUNCH on the judiciary beat. She has over a decade experience covering criminal and civil matters from the magistrate to the appellate courts. She’s a graduate of Political Science
