A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday ordered that 15 Russians arraigned before it 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 be held at the Ikoyi Prisons until their bail application was decided upon.
The Russians, namely 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, charged alongside their vessel MvMyreSeadiver pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court was informed by the prosecution that the accused and their vessel were arrested on October 18, 2012 when they entered 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 naval officers then opened the vessel only to discover 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.
While the 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 ordered that the accused be remanded at the Ikoyi Prisons, Lagos, pending the determination of their bail application.