A Federal High Court
sitting in Lagos, yesterday, remanded 15 Russians at Ikoyi Prisons, Lagos,
pending the determination of their bail application.
The Russians were, yesterday, arraigned on a
four-count charge of unlawful importation of firearms and ammunition into
Nigeria, unlawful possession of firearms as well as non declaration of the
content of their vessel.
The accused are: Zhelyazkov Andrey, Savchenko
Sergel, Chichkanov Vasily, Varlygin Igor, Komilov Alexander, Lopatin Alexey and
Baranovskly Nikolay, Mishin Pavel, Llia Shubov, Dimitry Bannyrh, Alexander
Tsarikov, Kononov Sergel, Korotchenko Andrey, Vorobev Mikhail, and Stepan
Oleksiuk.
They were charged alongside their vessel, Mv Myre
Seadiver. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecution told the court that the accused and
their vessel were arrested by Naval officers on October 18, 2012, within the
Nigerian territorial waters, in Lagos State, as they entered the Nigerian
territorial waters without due licence and clearance from the Nigeria Customs
Service, contrary to provisions of the Customs and Excise Management Act, 2002.
The court was told that the vessel was arrested and
opened by the Naval officers, who discovered a cache of firearms and ammunition
concealed in it, an offence that contravened provisions of the Firearms Act,
Cap F28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as well as provisions of the
Miscellanous Offence Act, Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
But defence counsel informed the court of the
accused pending bail application which was argued. The prosecution requested
for a date to respond to the bail application by defence counsel.
Trial judge, Justice Okechukwu Okeke, adjourned the
matter till February 25 for the prosecution to reply to the bail application of
defence counsel and odered that the accused be remanded at the Ikoyi Prisons,
Lagos, pending the determination of their bail application.
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