The Nation Newspaper

Tag: suspected pirates

  • Trial of suspected pirates ‘caught with arms, ammunition’ begins

    The trial of seven suspected pirates who were allegedly caught with arms and ammunition resumed yesterday at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    They were arrested on a vessel by men of the Nigerian Navy for alleged piracy and dealing in petroleum products without authorisation.

    The defendants were accused of violating laws on money laundering and firearms prohibition.

    They are: Umarama Ovuiro, Adesola Peter, Collins Harrison, Paul Adeyemi, Adedeji Joshua, Samuel Oluwafemi, Abdulrahman Kabir (also known as Tunde), and a vessel, MT Dejikun.

    According to the prosecution, the defendants, on February 19 last year on the Nigerian coast, conspired to deal in petroleum products without lawful authority.

    The complainant – Federal Republic of Nigeria – said the defendants, “while committing piracy, did transfer petroleum products from the MT Maximus vessel”.

    The prosecution said the suspects were in unlawful possession of an AK49 rifle numbered 9973, as well as an AK56 rifle, numbered 15515.

    The defendants were also allegedly caught with a single barrel Magnum revolver, numbered 7080; 161 rounds of live 7.62mm ammunition, six empty AK47 cartridges and six cartridges.

    The alleged offence violates sections 3 and 8 and is punishable under Section 27 (1) (a) of the Firearms Act of 2004.

    The offence of conspiracy, dealing in petroleum products without authority and transferring it to another vessel violate sections 1 (17), 3 (6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act 2004 and Section 15 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, the prosecution said.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty and were remanded in prison custody.

    At their trial yesterday, prosecuting counsel Mrs E. S. Osiade, a Senior State Counsel at the Federal Ministry of Justice, sought to tender statements made by the defendants after their arrest.

    But the defence counsel objected on the basis that the statements were not made voluntarily.

    Kabir’s lawyer, Mr Jerry Omoregi said: “My client informed me that the statement is a product of great torture which spanned over a period of two weeks while he was in a detention cell of the Nigerian Navy in Apapa.”

    Counsel for Ovuiro, Peter, Harrison, Joshua and Olawufemi, Mr N. C. Onyejiaka, also claimed his clients were forced to make their statements.

    “The original statements which they made voluntarily are not here,” he said.

    Following the defendants’ claim, Justice Muslim Hassan ordered a trial within trial to determine the statements’ voluntariness.

    But, the Navy claimed that the statements were obtained voluntarily after the defendants were duly cautioned.

    Testifying in the trial within trial, a Lieutenant-Commander, O. J. Adeyemi, said he took the statements after cautioning the defendants and that none of them was forced to write.

    “I even bought food and drinks for two of the defendants at different times when they complained that they were hungry. They wrote their statements willingly and not under duress,” he said.

    Justice Hassan adjourned until November 6 and 7 for continuation of trial within trial.

  • Navy docks suspected pirates caught with arms, ammunition

    Navy docks suspected pirates caught with arms, ammunition

    The trial of five seven suspected pirates who were caught with arms and ammunition resumed Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    They were arrested on a vessel by men of the Nigerian Navy for alleged piracy and dealing in petroleum products without authorisation.

    The defendants were accused of violating laws on money laundering and firearms prohibition.

    They include the vessel, MT Dejikun, Umarama Ovuiro, Adesola Peter, Collins Harrison, Paul Adeyemi, Adedeji Joshua, Samuel Oluwafemi and Abdulrahman Kabir (also known as Tunde).

    According to the prosecution, the defendants, on February 19 last year at the Nigerian coast, conspired to deal in petroleum products without lawful authority.

    The complaint – Federal Republic of Nigeria – said the defendants, “while committing piracy, did transfer petroleum products from the MT Maximus vessel”.

    The prosecution said the suspects were in unlawful possession of an AK49 rifle numbered 9973, as well as an AK56 rifle, numbered 15515.

    The accused persons were also allegedly caught with a single barrel Magnum revolver, numbered 7080; 161 rounds of live 7.62mm ammunition, six empty AK47 cartridges and six cartridges.

    The alleged offence violates sections 3 and 8 and punishable under Section 27 (1) (a) of the Firearms Act of 2004.

    The offence of conspiracy, dealing in petroleum products without authority and transferring it to another vessel violate sections 1 (17), 3 (6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act 2004 and Section 15 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011, the prosection said.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty and were remanded in prison custody.

    At their trial yesterday, prosecuting counsel Mrs E. S. Osiade, a Senior State Counsel at the Federal Ministry of Justice, sought to tender statements made by the defendants after their arrest.

    But the defence counsel objected on the basis that the statements were not made voluntarily.

    Kabir’s lawyer, Mr Jerry Omoregi said: “My client informed me that the statement is a product of great torture which spanned over a period of two weeks while he was in a detention cell of the Nigerian Navy Apapa.”

    Counsel for Ovuiro, Peter, Harrison, Joshua and Olawufemi, Mr N. C. Onyejiaka, also claimed his clients were forced to make their statements.

    “The original statements which they made voluntarily are not here,” he said.

    Following the defendants’ claim, Justice Muslim Hassan ordered a trial within trial to determine the statements’ voluntariness.

    But, the Navy claimed that the statements were obtained voluntarily after the defendants were duly cautioned.

    Testifying in the trial within trial, a Lieutenant Commander, O. J. Adeyemi, said he took the statements after cautioning the defendants and that none of them was forced to write.

    “I even bought food and drinks for two of the defendants at different times when they complained that they were hungry. They wrote their statements willingly and not under duress,” he said.

    Justice Hassan adjourned until November 6 and 7 for continuation of trial within trial.

  • Troops rout Boko Haram fighters in Borno

    Troops rout Boko Haram fighters in Borno

    •Kill suspected pirate in gun duel

    Troops of the Joint Force, Operation Pulo Shield (OPS) have recovered 14 AK-47 from gunmen suspected to be militants and pirates operating in Bayelsa and Delta states.

    The troops killed one of the suspected pirates, whose gang engaged them in a gun duel at Idema in Ogbia Local Government of Bayelsa State.

    Coordinator of the Joint Media Campaign Centre (JMCC) Col. Isa Ado said troops of Sector 2 were conducting a search operation on April 9 when they encountered the gunmen.

    He said: “The pirates engaged the troops in a gun battle but they were overpowered by the superior fire power of the troops. This led to the death of one of the gunmen; others escaped with gunshot injuries.

    “One AK-47 and two loaded magazines were recovered from the bandits with nine mobile phones and three walkie-talkies. Four suspects were arrested during the operation.”

    Ado said the troops of Sector 2 raided suspected militant camps in Gbarain, Southern Ijaw Local Government of Bayelsa State, and recovered three AK-47.

    The coordinator said other items recovered were Magnum double-barrelled gun, 273 rounds of 7.62 mm Special, empty magazines of AK-47, one empty magazine of FN rifle and nine packs of explosives.

    He said operatives of Sector 1 arrested Mr Thankgod Michael, Mr Umukoro Austin and Frank Jemedake, for alleged possession of four AK-47 in Kokori Ethiope East Local Government of Delta State.

    Ado said: “Following one of the suspect’s confessions that the weapon used by the gang was in the house of a  member, Mr Oruno, a search was conducted where six AK-47 magazines loaded with 36 rounds of 7.62 mm Special ammunition and a bag containing coins of local and foreign currencies were found.

    “During the search, Mr Francis Akpovwovwo, Festus Ochiko and Emmanuel Ofuoma were arrested. The suspects and exhibits are in the custody of Operation Pulo Shield for preliminary investigation.

  • JTF arrests six suspected pirates

    The Joint Task Force (JTF (JTF), code-named: Operation Pulo Shield, has arrested six suspected pirates on the Niger Delta waterways.

    The task force said it also recovered high calibre arms and ammunition from the suspects.

    The arrests came two months after six soldiers were killed in various attacks, with their gunboats snatched by gunmen suspected to be pirates.

    The suspects were said to have been arrested by JTF’s special squads, following a week-long smooth operation.

    Parading the suspects at the JTF headquarters in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, the outgoing Coordinator of the Joint Media Campaign Centre, Col. Mustapha Anka said they were arrested in connection with the recent attacks on fibre boats belonging to the task force.

    Anka said the suspects allegedly attacked JTF troops and other users of Sangana and Santa Barbara rivers in Bayelsa and River states.

    He said: “The aggressive and continuous day and night raids, stop-and-search patrols of the JTF operations on the waterways have resulted in the arrest and recovery of some weapons from the hoodlums.”

    Anka named the recovered weapons as three Browning machine guns (BMGs) with registration number 1981, with a stand; B572 Banel number Z90323, with a stand; HMG-50MG ST Kinetics serial number 2405PM, with a stand and its links ammunition (buried underground).

    Others are: one AK-47 rifle without registration number, a G3 rifle with No. G310D792 and rifle with registration number T67439 and wooden dummy rifle.

    Also recovered were three gunboat batteries, one HP laptop computer, one police fragmental jacket, 1×200 Horse Power engine, empty cases of 12.7mm ammunition of HMG gun, one searchlight with batteries, one bag containing boat tools, one Nokia G6 mobile phone, two rifle butts and one plastic toy pistol.

    They were recovered in Ukubie, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

    Anka said the JTF, under the command of Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Atewe, would continue aggressive day and night patrols to deny miscreants the opportunity to operate.