A first prosecution witness in the trial of five men, accused of unlawful importation of 661 pump-action riffles into the country, has informed the court how he turned down an N8million bribe allegedly offered to him by the defendants.
The defendants – Mahmud Hassan, Oscar Okafor, Donatus Achinulo, Matthew Okoye, said to be at large, and Salihu Danjuma – had been arraigned by the Attorney General of the Federation on June 14 before Justice Ayokunle Faji.
The accused persons were alleged to have brought 661 pump-action rifles into the country from Turkey through the Apapa Port in Lagos, using a 40-feet container, which they falsely claimed contained steel doors.
In his evidence in chief by the prosecution counsel, Julius Ajakaye, the witness, Abdulahi Muhammad, a Chief Superintendent of Customs, said when his team intercepted the gang, he was offered a bribe of N8million, which he rejected.
Muhammad told the court that “in January 22, 2017, I led a patrol team called ‘Lagos Roving Team’ which was headed by Adamu Abubakar.
“Around 12 midnight, we sighted a container on Apapa-Mile 2 Bridge, and we intercepted it.
“As of the time of the interception, the Customs clearance document was not given to us by the escort. This made us to suspect the container.
“It was when they realised that the truck was heading for Ikeja, that the escort started calling the second defendant, who told the escort to give us the document.”
Muhammad said the second defendant who appeared restless later surfaced and owned up to being owner of the container.
“Then, he started to negotiate with me. He offered me N500,000, and later increased it to N8million. I continue to listen to him and told my colleagues what he offered me.
“When I went back to him, he told me that if I did not take the money he would kill himself. I then called my boss and told him that, and my boss said if he killed himself, I should bring the container and his corpse to him.”
