Two out of the five men being prosecuted by the Federal Government for unlawful importation of 661 pump-action rifles into the country have indicated their intention to enter into a plea bargain with the prosecution, Vanguard reports.

Reference: 

• September 11, Customs seizes 1,100 firearms at Lagos port.
• September 22, Customs DG meets Turkish envoy over illegal arms importation.

The report:

• The defendants – Mahmud Hassan, Oscar Okafor, Donatus Achinulo, Matthew Okoye, said to be at large, and Salihu Danjuma – had been arraigned by the Attorney General of the Federation on June 14 before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
• They had all pleaded not guilty to the eight charges pressed against them, while the trial judge, Justice Ayokunle Faji, refused their bail applications in view of the gravity of the charges levelled against them.
• The matter was subsequently adjourned until September 25 for trial.
• However, at the resumed proceedings on Monday, the second and third defendants, Oscar Okafor and Donatus Achinulo, respectively, who had changed their lawyers, indicated their intentions to change their plea from not guilty to guilty.
• The application was made orally on behalf of Okafor by Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), his new lawyer, and on behalf of Achinulo by Paul Ananaba (SAN).
• However, the judge directed the defendants to notify the AGF of their intention.
• The matter was subsequently adjourned till September 26.

Omoleye Omoruyi

Omoleye Omoruyi… an apprentice web/game developer, novelist, sensitive to happenings in the world. Meet him @Lord_rickie on Twitter/Instagram