Thursday, August 20, 2026 - A Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, on Wednesday ordered the remand of three suspects arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service in connection with the alleged unlawful importation of pump-action rifles into Nigeria.
Justice Friday Ogazi ordered the remand of the suspects, who
are Kenneth Mbonu, Kenneth Agwu and Choima Onuoha.
They were ordered to be remanded in the custody of the
Correctional Centre for 15 days, pending the conclusion of investigations.
Justice Ogazi ordered that they remain in custody until
September 1, 2026, when the matter will come up for a report of investigation
or possible arraignment.
The firearms were allegedly concealed in a container marked
TEMU 184536/9, which arrived in Nigeria aboard MV VELIKA on July 8, 2026.
The development followed an earlier order by Justice Ogazi,
who had remanded two other suspects, Ejiogu Godson and Revert Eze, in
connection with the same consignment of firearms.
The Customs Service, through its lawyers, David Ereh and
Kehinde Bode-Ayeni, had filed an ex parte application seeking an order to
remand the three suspects.
The application was brought pursuant to Sections 294 and 295
of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, Section 6 of the Nigeria
Customs Service Act 2023, Sections 6(6), 35(1)(c), (5) and (7)(a) of the 1999
Constitution, as amended, and Order 46 Rule 4(d) of the Federal High Court
Rules.
Customs had initially sought an order permitting the
suspects to be held at the Enforcement Unit of the Tin Can Island Port, Apapa,
Lagos, pending the conclusion of investigations and possible prosecution.
The agency told the court that the investigation could not
be concluded within the constitutionally prescribed 24 or 48 hours, adding that
the alleged offences were indictable and within the jurisdiction of the Federal
High Court.
Counsel further informed the court that the suspects would
be prosecuted by the Legal Unit of the Tin Can Island Area Command if
investigations established a prima facie case against them.
In an affidavit filed in support of the application and
deposed to by a litigation officer, N. Akpan, Customs said the investigation
followed credible intelligence received by officers of its Enforcement Unit
concerning container TEMU 184536/9.
According to the deponent, the Customs Area Controller
directed officers to monitor the container on July 8, 2026.
He stated that when the container was examined on July 13,
2026, Customs officers allegedly discovered firearms and ammunition concealed
inside it.
The discovery, he said, led to the arrest of the three
suspects and the commencement of further investigations into the alleged
unlawful importation of the firearms.
The deponent also alleged that the suspects provided
information that led investigators to other persons allegedly involved in the
forgery and manipulation of Customs records and documents used to facilitate
the unlawful removal of the container.
He said Customs operatives were already making efforts to
apprehend the other suspects and intensifying investigations into the matter.
According to him, the three suspects had made statements
under caution, which Customs described as voluntary and confessional.
The agency argued that releasing the suspects at this stage
could jeopardise the investigation, alleging that they might assist other
suspects in evading arrest or interfere with the recovery of relevant evidence.
Customs consequently urged the court to grant the 15-day
remand order to enable its operatives to conclude the investigation and
facilitate possible prosecution.
After hearing the submissions, Justice Ogazi ordered that
Mbonu, Agwu and Onuoha be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional
Service for 15 days.
The judge adjourned the matter until September 1, 2026, for
a report of investigation or possible arraignment of the suspects.
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