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After almost two weeks that the entire nation was engulfed in fear over the discovery of 49 boxes of 661 pump-action rifles imported into the country but was intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, TheNewsGuru.com can authoritatively report that the importers are yet to be charged to court.
According to the NCS, investigations was ongoing and there was no way those involved could be charged until preliminary investigations have been concluded.
This was revealed by the the Assistant Comptroller and acting spokesman for the NCS, Joseph Attah, on Saturday in an interview with newsmen.
TheNewsGuru.com recalls that the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A of the NCS had, on January 30, intercepted the 40-foot container containing the rifles along the Mile 2 — Apapa Road in Lagos State.
The FOU officials were said to have discovered that although the manifest said the container had “steel doors and other merchandise goods,” boxes of the weapons were concealed deep in the container.
The rifles tagged, ‘JOJEFF made in Italy,’ could take up to 10 cartridges and could wreak a lot of havoc.
Other items found in the container were diapers, office cabinet, towels, mattresses, soft drinks and toiletries among others.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (retd.), had said the container came from China, but was routed through Turkey to “cause confusion.”
He had explained that three suspects, Oscar Okafor (importer), Mahmud Hassan (clearing agent) and Sadique Mustapha (escort) had been arrested.
The NCS later arrested two of its officers; Abdullahi I, and Odiba Inah who cleared the container.
Attah explained that there none of those arrested so far can be charged with any offense until investigations (which started almost immediately the container was intercepted) is concluded.
In his words: “They are facing investigations already. It is only when investigations are completed that appropriate actions can be taken.
“All those concerned with the importation of the rifles are currently under investigations. And when the investigations are completed, the findings of the investigations will determine further action.”