Court sentences 34-year-old man over illegal possession of firearms

A Magistrates’ Court sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital has sentenced a 34-year-old man, Solomon Alabi to three years imprisonment for unlawful possession of firearms

Alabi, was sentenced on a count charge of unlawful possession of firearms.

In her judgment, the Chief Magistrate, I.O. Abuse, held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant was guilty as charged.

Abuse held that the evidence presented by the prosecution were tenable and, therefore, sentenced Alabi to three years imprisonment, with no option of fine.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp Lawrence Olu-Balogun, had told the court that the defendant committed the offence on October 10, 2021 at Oke-Saje area of Abeokuta.

Olu-Balogun argued that the defendant was in possession of one locally-made pistol with five cartridges of ammunition.

He said that the defendant was accosted by patrolling police officers from Adatan police station who searched the defendant and found a locally-made gun and three cartridges on him without licence.

The prosecutor said the defendant could not give definite explanation of how he came about the gun.

According to him, the offence contravenes Section 27 of the Firearms Act, Cap. F28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2014.