Two suspected gun runners, Ovosi Mohammed and Abubakar Salihu were remanded in prison custody yesterday on court orders.
Alhassan Husaini of Lokoja Chief Magistrate Court II gave the order in his ruling on arraignment of the accused for illegal possession of firearms.
Husaini said proliferation of firearms in the state and particularly within the court’s jurisdiction had assumed endemic proportion.
According to the prosecution led by Mohammed Abaji, a Senior Legal Officer with Kogi state Ministry of Justice, Salihu was arrested by men of the Command Army Records, Lokoja.
Abaji said the Army personnel deployed to Okene on clearing operation at Bob Royal Hotel at Innozimi Village handed over the accused to the Directorate of State Service (DSS) for discreet investigation.
He said that a Beretta pistol with one round of 9 mm live ammunition were found in Salihu’s possession.
Ovosi on the other hand was said to be arrested on April 28 in Rivers State by operatives of the DSS on intelligence report.
He was said to have travelled to Okene in Kogi, where he sold a Pump Action gun to one Emmanuel and Otaru for N150,000.
The accused were charged with criminal conspiracy and illegal possession of firearms contrary to sections 97(1) of the Penal Code and section 3 of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act Cap 11 of the laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Shaibu Ibrahim Esq, Counsel to one of the accused, Salihu, raised an oral application for bail in pursuant to section 341(2) of Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) but was promptly opposed by Abaji.
In his ruling, Husaini said he had no iota of doubt in his mind that the offence had assumed endemic proportion of late adding that the accused might not spring up for their trial.
He therefore refused the bail application and by consequential order, directed that the accused be remanded at the Federal Prisons, Koton-Karfe as he adjourned to August 31, for further mention.
