NIGERIA: Nigerian court postpones hearing in the case of 15 Russian sailors charged with arms smuggling

Record ID: 236045

  • Title: NIGERIA: Nigerian court postpones hearing in the case of 15 Russian sailors charged with arms smuggling
  • Date: 30th April 2013
  • Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (APRIL 30, 2013) (REUTERS) WIDE OF FEDERAL HIGH COURT VARIOUS OF STATUE OF JUSTICE IN FRONT OF COURT BUILDING SIGN READING "FEDERAL HIGH COURT" VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN SAILORS WALKING INTO COURTROOM LAWYERS DISCUSSING RUSSIAN SAILORS WALKING OUT OF COURTROOM VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN SAILORS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MUOBOSA OYIDIAGBA, DEFENCE LAWYER, SAYING: "Matters could not proceed because the lord the Honourable Justice Okeke will be retiring soon. So precisely, he has transferred the matter to his learned brother, Justice Soho for continuation of trial. So nothing could really go on today." RUSSIAN EMBASSY STAFF (SOUNDBITE) (English) MUOBOSA OYIDIAGBA, DEFENCE LAWYER, SAYING: "The DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) in his wisdom has found out that all the accused persons ought not to have been charged and they want to look into the matter so that they can strike out those ones that ought not to have been charged in the first place and we hope that on the next adjourned date, they will make the necessary applications and strike out those that ought not to have been joined in the first place." RUSSIAN SAILORS LEAVING COURT PREMISES
  • Embargoed: 15th May 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Reuters ID: LVACVHV9HNIOLKKESYXJODKEOMNU
  • Story Text: The hearing in the case of 15 Russian sailors charged with illegally bringing weapons into Nigeria postponed to May 13.


    The court hearing in the case of 15 Russian sailors charged with illegally bringing weapons into Nigeria last year has been postponed to May 13, a member of the defence team said.
    "Matters could not proceed because the lord the Honourable Justice Okeke will be retiring soon. So precisely, he has transferred the matter to his learned brother, Justice Soho for continuation of trial. So nothing could really go on today," said the defence lawyer Muobosa Oyidiagba.
    The hearing was scheduled for Tuesday, April 30.
    A Nigerian high court had granted bail to the Russian sailors who are facing charges of arms smuggling into the West African country.
    "The DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) in his wisdom has found out that all the accused persons ought not to have been charged and they want to look into the matter so that they can strike out those ones that ought not to have been charged in the first place and we hope that on the next adjourned date, they will make the necessary applications and strike out those that ought not to have been joined in the first place," the lawyer Muobosa Oyidiagba added.
    Nigerian authorities intercepted a ship and arrested its Russian crew on October 23 last year after they found several guns and around 8,500 rounds of ammunition aboard.
    The Russian sailors have pleaded not guilty and the Moran Security Group, the Russian company that owns the confiscated vessel, has said the ship had permission to carry arms, calling the accusations "groundless".
    Demand for weapons in Nigeria is big because of an Islamist rebellion in the north, armed robbery and kidnapping by gangs in the south and oil theft and piracy in the southeast.
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