Photo: Leadership

Court gavel

The police on Tuesday arraigned 15 Russians before a Federal High Court in Lagos for alleged importation of firearms and ammunition into Nigeria.

The accused persons are standing trial before Justice Okechukwu Okeke on a four-count charge, bordering on unlawful importation and possession of firearms as well as non-declaration of the content of the vessel.

The accused are Zhelyazkov Andrey, Savchenko Sergel, Chichkanov Vasily, Varlygin Igor, Komilov Alexander, Lopatin Alexey and Baranovskly Nikolay.

Others are Mishin Pavel, Llia Shubov, Dimitry Bannyrh, Alexander Tsarikov, Kononov Sergel, Korotchenko Andrey, Vorobev Mikhail and Stepan Oleksiuk.

The accused were charged together with their vessel, "Mv Myre Seadiver".

They however, pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against them.

The Police Prosecutor, Mr Ernest Ezebilo, told the court that the accused and their vessel were arrested by naval officers on Oct. 18, 2012 within Nigerian territorial waters in Lagos State.

Ezebilo said that the accused and their vessel had entered Nigerian territorial waters without due licence and clearance from the Nigeria Customs Service.

He said the accused also refused to declare the content of the vessel, contrary to the provisions of the Customs and Excise Management Act, 2002.

Ezebilo said that when the vessel was arrested and opened by naval officers, a cache of firearms and ammunitions were concealed in it.

The prosecutor told the court that the accused were then arrested along with the vessel.

He said that the offences contravened the provisions of the Firearms Act, Cap. F28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as well as the provisions of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap. M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.