The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has charged 10 individuals for allegedly importing 844 firearms and 112,500 live cartridges illegally.
The suspects were charged through the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) in Abuja.
The accused were arraigned in the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Director of Strategic Communications and Information at the Centre, Group Captain Pius Okwuego, said the arraignment was initially scheduled for September 9, 2024, but was postponed due to the absence of two defendants’ lawyers.
The NCCSALW, working under ONSA, had earlier arrested the ten individuals for their alleged involvement in the illegal importation of firearms and ammunition.”
The primary suspect, Ali Samson Ofoma, and nine accomplices were apprehended in Abuja, thanks to intelligence efforts by the NCCSALW in collaboration with other security agencies.
Okwuego stated that the suspects face multiple charges, including conspiracy to import prohibited firearms, violating the Firearms Act, and engaging in terrorism-related activities under the 2022 Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act.
The case follows the interception of a 40-foot container at Onne Port, Rivers State, on June 20, 2024. The container, registered as MAEU-9165396 and shipped from Turkey, was found to be hiding 844 firearms and 112,500 live cartridges, disguised among plumbing materials and steel doors.
The court has adjourned the case to September 26, 2024, for further hearing.
