BY KAYODE ADEOTI
Two foreigners were sentenced to four years imprisonment each by the magistrate court, sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital over illegal possession of firearms and for impersonating with Nigeria Immigration uniform.
The two convicts; Bakana Abdulkarim and Mensah Ijobulah are both Togolese Nationals who reside at Banni village, Kaiama Local Government area of the state.
They stood trial before Magistrate Muhammed Ibrahim on a three-count charge of criminal conspiracy, wearing dress and carrying token used by public servant, and unlawful possession of firearms contrary to section 97, 133 of Penal Code Law and 27 (1) (b) of firearms Act Cap F28 LFN, 2004.
After the charge sheet was read to the accused, they both pleaded guilty.
The prosecutor, Inspector Nasir Yusuf prayed the court to try the accused summarily since they pleaded guilty to the offence.
The magistrate however ceded to the application of the prosecutor even as he convicted the accused accordingly.
He sentenced the convicts to six months imprisonment with an option of fine of N1,000 for offence of criminal conspiracy, 18 months imprisonment with N2000 as an option of fine for the offence of wearing dress used by Nigeria immigration and 24 months sentence with N2,000 as option of fine for the offence of possession of firearms.
Also, the court held that the jail term would run concurrently at the Federal Prison yard, Oke-Kura, Ilorin.
According to First Information Report, the operatives of the Nigeria Immigration Service, the state command had on 6th December, 2017 apprehended the convicts along Oba village, Baruten local government area for been in possession of two locally made single barrel riffles and eleven rounds of live cartridges.
The FIR further disclosed that investigation carried out by the office of the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit, Abuja, the accused were members of the registered Atunluse Community Security Guards in the area where they were arrested.
It also revealed that the convicts were operating with the said firearms without appropriate approval or licence from government authority.
