New Telegraph

Translator stalls trial of 5 Guinean smugglers of N22.3bn pangolin scales

Absence of a translator has stalled the arraignment of five Guinean nationals arrested by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for smuggling N22.3billion worth of Pangolin scales and elephant tusks. The accused were supposed to have been arraigned at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, on a four-count raging from collecting, loading, exporting, transporting and keeping different kilogrammes of pangolin scales and elephant. The accused are: Troare Djakonba, Muyribein Bereye, Isiaka Musa, Mohammed Bereta, and Sediki Berete However, the NCS’s Legal Adviser, Smath Akande said yesterday that absence of a translator in the court stalled the arraignment of the accused persons, saying the accused were all Guinean nationals. He noted that the charges were expected to be read to the accused in a language they understand.

The legal adviser explained that a new date, August 26, has been set for a fresh arraignment, saying that hopefully a translator would be in court to read out the charges to all the accused persons. Akande said: “The charges are to be read to the accused in a language they understand. Because of this the trial Judge, Justice Nicholas Oweigbo, graciously asked that the accused be brought back on August 26.” It would be recalled that on August 4, the service arrested three persons with different kilogrammes of pangolin scales and elephant tusks worth N22.3 billion in Lagos.

While displaying the seizures in Lagos, the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC), Col. Hammed Ali, noted the 17,137.44 kilogrammes of pangolin scales (196 sacks), 870.44 kilogrammes of elephant tusks and 4.60 kilogrammes of pangolin claws were evacuated at a location on eastern side of Ijeoma Street, Lekki, Lagos State after proper examination. According to him, NCS’s extensive collaboration yielded credible intelligence that triggered swift and comprehensive actions by the Customs Intelligence Unit and Headquarters Strike Force.

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