By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Justice Muslim Hassan of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has convicted and sentenced seven pirates to seven years imprisonment each with effect from February 2, 2016 when they were arrested and detained.
The convicts are: Umarama Michael Ovuiro; Adesola Marcus Peter; Collins Adebayo Harrison; Paul Ayinde Adeyemi; Ayodeji Joshua; Samuel Timothy Oluwafemi and Abdulrahman Kabir O alias Tunde were said to have hijacked a vessel, MT MAXIMUS, in 2016 and transferred petroleum products out from it.
Justice Muslim Hassan gave the judgment after upholding an October 9, 2020 plea bargain agreement they entered with the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF).
In the judgement, Justice Hassan said that the sentence would run from February 22, 2016, when the pirates were arrested and placed in custody.
As part of the plea bargain deal, the eighth defendant Abdulrahman Kabir O, alias Tunde, shall testify as a witness in the proceeding against first defendant, MT DEJIKUN.
MT DEJIKUN was alleged to be the operational vessel used by the pirates in hijacking MT MAXIMUS.
MT DEJIKUN did not cut a deal with the AGF’s office and Justice Hassan adjourned till April 21, for its trial.
When they were first arraigned, all eight defendants pleaded not guilty and were placed in custody.
The OAGF’s chief state counsel, A. K. Alilu told the court that the defendants, on or about the February 19, 2016 off the Nigerian coast, hijacked and unlawfully dealt in petroleum products from MT MAXIMUS.
The court heard that they were armed with an AK49 rifle, AK 56 rifle, a single barrel magnum pistol, 161 rounds of live 7.62 mm ammunition, 6 empty AK47 Cartridges and 6 cartridges.
The prosecution called three witnesses but the defence objected to the admissibility of the defendants’ statements.
Justice Hassan ordered a trial within trial to determine the voluntariness of the statements after which the court admitted it in evidence.
Following the judge’s ruling, the second to eighth defendants changed their pleas. This was after three years of trial.
MT DEJIKUN maintained its “not guilty” plea and trial fixed for April 21.