Nigerian Police and men of the DSS have been called out as beneficiaries of N1million paid to facilitate the release of container with 661 riffles by a suspect.
Mahmud Hassan, one of five men being tried for alleged importation of guns into the country, made this allegation in a recorded video played by the prosecution in court on Monday, February 19, 2018.
Hassan said he and his group paid N1 million to security agents to smuggle in gun consignment through Apapa Port, Lagos.
The video, was said to be recorded while Hassan gave his statement in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The trial-within-trial
The presiding judge of the case, Ayokunle Faji, had ordered a trial-within-trial following claims that the accused made their previous statements under duress.
Yakubu Galadima, the accused’s counsel, argued he made the statement understand torture and Justice Faji ordered a trial-within-trial conducted to test the voluntariness of the statement.
Hassan said:
“I gave N1m to facilitate the moving of the container out of the port, but it is not because of the guns.
“The examiners were given N200,000; C.I.O., N100,000; enforcement, N200,000; police, SSS, between N20,000, N25,000, and N30,000; the toll gates, N200,000, exit gate, N20,000, and final gate, N50,000,” he said.
In January, customs seized 661 pieces of pump-action rifles which came from China at the Lagos port. These guns were hidden with steel doors and other goods. The AK47 rifles were concealed in 49 boxes
– The Cable
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