From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Two suspected smugglers, who attacked the anti-smuggling operatives of Ikeja Zone “A” Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) with assorted charms and horse whips were on Tuesday, arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Oke Mosan Area of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The suspected smugglers, Felarun Oluwasegun and Fakorede Jelili were arraigned on Three Count Charges bordering on assault, illegal importation of 37 bags of foreign parboiled rice, as well as unlawful possession of the same contraband without the payment of the stipulated customs duties.
Arraigning the accused in a suit number FHC/AB/15C/2023 before the court, custom’s prosecutor, Vivian Aigbadon, told the court that the accused persons committed the offences on the 21st of February, 2023 at Owoyele axis of Igbogila in the Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State wherein they connived and inflicted physical injuries on Messrs Joseph and Echem while performing their statutory functions as anti-smuggling operatives.
Aigbadon further told the court presided over by Hon Justice AA Demi-Ajayi that the offences contradicted Section 11 (a), Cap “C45” of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) and as such, punishable under the law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Moving a motion for their bail applications, the defence counsel, OO Oyedele prayed to the court to grant his clients bail on grounds of their health, having sustained life-threatening injuries as a result of the gun wound earlier sustained during the fracas with the anti-smuggling operatives.
While ordering that the accused persons be remanded at the Correctional Services Centre (CSC) within the court’s jurisdiction, the presiding judge, Justice Demi-Ajayi, however, adjourned ruling on their bail applications till May 30.
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court adjourned the ruling on the bail applications of another set of three smugglers arraigned on May 9, 2023, in suits number: FHC/AB/31C/’23 for forging the Customs’ documents, till May 24.
The accused, Ismail Shaibu Kolo, Jimoh Yakubu and Abdullahi Muazu, were said to have “conspired to forge Nigeria Customs Service documents Exit Note declaration form: Ports & Terminal Multi-Services Limited (PTML) Provision Assessment form, knowing the documents to be false and with the intent that may in any way, be used and acted upon as genuine”.
When the matter came up for mention on Tuesday, Aigbadon in her counter-affidavit, opposed the bail applications of the accused on the ground that they are likely to tamper with the ongoing investigations, particularly when other members of the smuggling syndicate are still at large.
Aigbadon argued that the accused may jump the bail if granted, stressing that ‘there are also reasonable grounds to believe that the accused will go back and still commit another crime related to the one for which he is being prosecuted.”
The presiding judge adjourned the ruling on the defendant” bail applications till May 24.