A Federal High Court in Lagos, on Wednesday, struck out a charge against an oil company, Great James Oil and Gas Ltd., charged with importation of 1,570 firearms.
Justice Ambrose Allagoa struck out the charge following a notice of discontinuance filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the court had, on April 24, sentenced two co-defendants in the charge, Moses Ifeuwa (a shipper) and Festus Emeka (a clearing agent), to two years imprisonment each.
The defendants were charged alongside the company, Great James Oil and Gas Ltd., on eight counts bordering on conspiracy, illegal importation of firearms, forgery and alteration of custom import papers.
They were first arraigned in 2018 before Justice Saliu Saidu, and trial begun, but along the line, the judge retired from the bench, and the case was re-assigned to Allagoa.
The defendants were re-arraigned in 2021 before Allagoa and they pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecution then opened its case and began trial, but the defendants subsequently opted for a plea bargain with the office of the AGF.
They eventually changed their plea from not guilty to guilty, and the court consequently convicted them on the charge.
In his judgment on April 24, the court relied on relevant provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) with regard to plea bargain, and consequently sentenced the convicts to a term of two years imprisonment each.
The court gave the convicts an option of one million Naira fine on each of the eight counts totaling eight million Naira.
When the case was called on Wednesday, Mr Joshua Alma appeared for the prosecution.
He informed the court of an application seeking to discontinue proceedings against the first defendant, Great James Oil and Gas Ltd.
The application was brought pursuant to the provisions of Section 108 of the ACJA, 2015.
He prayed the court to grant the application.
Justice Allagoa granted the application and consequently struck out the charge.
NAN reports that the charge bordered on conspiracy, illegal importation of firearms, forgery and alteration of import papers.(NAN)
