NIGERIA: Court drops charges of arms trafficking against seven Russian sailors, ending a year-long case that has frayed diplomatic relations between the two countries

Record ID: 236203

  • Title: NIGERIA: Court drops charges of arms trafficking against seven Russian sailors, ending a year-long case that has frayed diplomatic relations between the two countries
  • Date: 8th October 2013
  • Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (OCTOBER 8, 2013) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF COURT WITH STATUE OF JUSTITIA VARIOUS OF STATUE SIGN READING (English) "FEDERAL HIGH COURT" VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN SAILORS STANDING AND TALKING OUTSIDE COURT BEFORE WALKING AWAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEFENCE LAWYER, OGIDIAGBA MOBOSA, SAYING: "Today the prosecution came up with a new amended charge. As you are aware, the last adjourned date they brought, there was a new - they amended the charge. But today again a new amended charge was also filed seeking to proceed with just two of the accused persons, being the 20th and the 21st accused persons. So the charge was substituted and the other accused persons being the first to 19th accused persons were struck out and the charges against them were discharged." LAWYERS STANDING AND TALKING OUTSIDE COURT
  • Embargoed: 23rd October 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA31D66D70E6AOBQL4AS94JVJMA
  • Story Text: A Nigerian court struck out charges of arms trafficking against seven Russian sailors on Tuesday (October 8), their lawyer said, ending a year-long case that has frayed diplomatic relations between the two countries.
    The seven were among 15 Russian sailors charged with illegally bringing weapons into Nigeria last year. The charges were brought after Nigerian authorities intercepted a ship on October 23, on which they found several guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
    Defence lawyer Ogidigba Mobosa said the charges against the Russians were dropped, while charges against two Nigerian defendants - a ship agent and a shipping company - were amended.

    "Today the prosecution came up with a new amended charge. As you are aware, the last adjourned date they brought, there was a new - they amended the charge. But today again a new amended charge was also filed seeking to proceed with just two of the accused persons, being the 20th and the 21st accused persons. So the charge was substituted and the other accused persons being the first to 19th accused persons were struck out and the charges against them were discharged."
    The boat was operated by Nigerian shipping company Blue Sea Maritime.
    Arms smuggling to and through Nigeria is rife, with demand fuelled by an Islamist rebellion in the north and by armed robbery, kidnapping, oil theft and piracy in the south.
    Nigeria is also sometimes used as a conduit for shipping arms to other conflict-ridden parts of West Africa.
    Shippers complain that a lack of permission for armed private security leaves them vulnerable to pirates. West Africa has overtaken Somalia's coast as the region of the continent worst affected by piracy, experts say.
    During the court hearings, the Russian sailors did not explain why the arms were on board their ship
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