We bring arms into Nigeria through Badagry –Suspect

OPERATIVES of the Task Force currently battling with criminals on Nigeria coastal waters were recently treated to a startling revelation in Lagos State when one of the suspects, Samuel Michael, revealed that his syndicate which specialises in trafficking of arms and hijacking of Nigeria bound cargoes, hired a vessel to perpetrate their crime.
Michael, referred to as “Logistics Officer” among the crew on board of MV NAOMI CORLET, betrayed no emotion while dishing out the details of his syndicate's escapades. He said the vessel was hired in Cameroun for a period of six months to enable his gang to have enough space to maximise its use for their operation. He specifically named one Charles as the one in charge of facilitating of the vessel. According to him,Charles is a well connected man with influence among the top officials of the Federal Government including a federal lawmaker and a prominent legal practitioner.
He said: "The vessel anchors at Calabar from where we normally take off and move down to Badagry where we have a depot of sorts. We offload our cache of arms at Badagry and return to the water for hijacking operation. It is through Badagry that arms enter Nigeria.
"There are other locations across the country where the arms are kept. What I am saying is that only about 20 percent of the arms stays in Lagos. Others are scattered in different parts of the country, especially the Niger-Delta area."  Michael said that he had participated in both hijacking and arms trafficking on four occasions with each operation fetching him what he referred to as 'good money.' He was on his way to another operation in Cotonou, Benin Republic, when the long arm of the law caught him and other members of his gang.
This, perhaps, could not have happened had their vessel not developed a mechanical fault which forced it to a halt. A member of the gang who was confused, then put a call through to someone at Apapa who could fix the problem. The person brought a power generating set to the spot but got the shock of his life when he entered the vessel and saw traces of hard drug.
A source who informed Crime & Security disclosed that the supposed mechanical engineer who was to repair the faulty engine alerted the security agency.
"The person became suspicious given the fact that the gang members were reluctant at the first instance in allowing him into the vessel. They eventually allowed him because they badly needed his service at that point in time. "So, when the person saw the traces of cocaine inside the vessel, he kept quiet until when he also stumbled on some cartridges.
Because of the fear that they might harm him and throw him into the sea, he did not show any sign of shock.
"But he tricked them that the generator could not function until he return to Apapa to bring a certain component. This was what helped him out of the place. By the time he got to Apapa, he contacted somebody who alerted the security agency," the source said. The gang was eagerly waiting for the engineer when they suddenly through their monitor discovered that they were enclosed by a team of the Task Force. This situation brought untold apprehension to them and forced them to throw some boxes of arms in the vessel into the sea.
Michael further said: "I was apprehended on October 13, 2012 in a vessel named Naomi Corllet which we wanted to use to hijack a vessel  on the high sea. The person who chattered the vessel is one Mr Charles.
"When we were apprehended by security personnel, some ammunition and gallons of petrol were found on board the vessel. Apart from our sponsor- Charles and Ademola, other known buyers of the stolen products are Ebere, I.K and Abedo."

The Tribune