The leadership of Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) Lagos Port Command, has intercepted and arrested a man who allegedly supply military logistics to criminals within and outside Nigeria.
This is happening as Police in Katsina State said it has arraigned its Communications Officer, Saidu Muhammed, 52, at a Chief Magistrate Court for allegedly selling 1,074 walkie-talkies entrusted in his care.
The Nigerian Customs Service says the suspect who was caught attempting to smuggle military camouflage and boots among other goods into the country has now been handed over to the Directorate of Military Intelligence.
Meanwhile, Muhammed, a DSP, is charged with “breach of trust by servant”. The police prosecutor, Inspector Okolo Usman, told the court that the command entrusted 1,500 walkie-talkies in the care of Muhammed in his capacity as O/C Communications on July 8, 2013.
Usman said the command later conducted a stock of the items and discovered that only 426 walkie-talkies remained. Usman said the officer confessed during investigation that he stole and sold 1,074 pieces to one Chucks in Abuja.
He said that each walkie-talkie was sold at the cost of N1,500. Muhammed, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge against him. The Chief Magistrate, Nuradeen El-Ladan, granted the accused person bail in the sum of N50,000 and two sureties in like sum.
El-ladan said that each surety must possess a landed property within GRA in Katsina and must be indigenes of the state. He adjourned the case to July 10 for further hearing.
The Custom Area Controller, Port and Terminal MultiService Limited Command in Lagos, Folorunsho Adegoke, told our Correspondent that the NCS handed over the suspect to the DMI when the Department of State Service, which had earlier taken custody of the suspect , returned him to the command.
The suspect was arrested by the Customs and handed over to the DSS. Adegoke said that the DSS returned the suspect two days later and urged the command to hand him over to the DMI for further investigation.
He said that the DSS officials told the command that the DMI was in a better position to investigate the case. Items found with the suspect included military uniforms, bullet proof jackets, boots, ear protectors, hand gloves, chemical protectors and helmets. Others are jack knives, belts, water bottles, weapon service equipment, face masks, radio communication gadgets and raincoats.
