Court Arraigns Suspected Smugglers for Attacking Custom Officers with Charm
A Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta has remanded two suspected smugglers for attacking operatives of the Nigerian Customs Service with charms and horsewhip.
The two suspects allegedly connived and inflicted physical injuries on officers from the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Ikeja Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service while operating around Igbogila in the Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State on the 21st of February, 2023.
According to the prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Vivian Aigbadon, the accused persons, Felarun Oluwasegun and Fakorede Jelili were arraigned on a three Count Charge bordering on assault, illegal importation of 37 bags of foreign parboiled rice, as well as unlawful possession of same contrabands without the payment of the stipulated Customs’ Duties.
In a plea before the court, the defense counsel, O.O Oyedele said the accused had sustained live – threatening injuries resulting from the gun wound they had during the fracas with the anti -smuggling operatives and prayed the court to grant them bail on health grounds.
The presiding judge, Justice Adefunmilayo Demi-Ajayi, however, ordered that the accused persons should be remanded at a Correctional Services Centre within the court’s jurisdiction and adjourned ruling on their bail applications till the 30th of this month.
Moreover, the ruling of the bail applications of three other suspected smugglers brought before her last week were also adjourned till the 24th of May, 2023.
The accused, Ismail Shaibu Kolo, Jimoh Yakubu and Abdullahi Muazu had reportedly conspired to forge the documents of Nigerian Customs Service.
When the matter came up for mentioning, the Prosecuting Counsel, Mrs. Aigbadon had opposed the bail applications of the accused on the ground that they were likely to tamper with the ongoing Customs’ investigations, particularly when other members of the smuggling syndicate were still at large.
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