FRSC boss lampoons judiciary for freeing Lebanese of arms running charges

The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Osita Chidoka, on Tuesday came down hard on the judiciary over the judgement of illegal arms importation by the co-owner of Amigo supermarket, saying it is only in Nigeria such a case could be determined in such way.
Chidoka, who expressed dissatisfaction over the way the case was handled, stated that if it were in other countries, the foreigners involved would have been deported by the government.
The FRSC boss was addressing the ongoing National Conference committee on National Security in Abuja on how his service could be repositioned.
Co-owner of Amigo Supermarket, Mustapha Fawaz, and three other Lebanese were charged for terrorism and alleged importation of firearms but Magistrate Muyiwa Oyeyipo of the Chief Magistrate Court in Karu, an Abuja sub, in June last year stuck out the suit following an application by the prosecutor, Cliff Osagie.
Chidoka, who decried the country’s security record keeping, said he was surprised that foreigners who were involved in illegal arms importation in Kano were fully back in their businesses.
He said: “Some people were caught in Kano with keeping arms underground.
“These people were tried and they are back to their normal businesses.
“There is nowhere in the world where such people will not be deported.”
Chidoka later clarified that his comments were carefully made, adding that his only concern was that there was the need when the case was going on to go to Kano but “the judge said there was no need and he later said the SSS (Department of State Service) did not provide enough evidences.”
He therefore challenged the Nigerian judiciary to tell Nigerians what they like to see as evidences when people bring terrorism cases to the court.
Reacting to Chidoka’s allegation, a member of the committee and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Daman D. Dodo, faulted the allegation and immediately asked Chidoka to withdraw his position.
Another delegate, who is a former Director of the DSS, stood by Chidoka when he asked him not to withdraw his statement.
The committee member said Chidoka is a Nigerian and Nigerian people have the right to comment on any judgement of the court.
In his own contribution, a former Governor of old Borno state, Alhaji Mohammed Goni, who also shared his ugly experience in Nigerian court, told Chidoka not to withdraw his position.
Goni believes that the judiciary in Nigeria is not doing enough.