By Brave Dickson
The office of the Rivers State Commissioner of Police has arranged one Bassey Moses, 23yr old for robbing a vehicle worth 14 million naira at gunpoint in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The police in their charge sheet made available to our correspondent said Moses allegedly committed the crime along Igbo-Etche Road in the state.
The defendant who pleaded not guilty before two counts slammed on him is for now facing the trial alone as others who were said to have been part of the crime are still at large.
The charge being marked as PMC/130c/2020 said, “you Bassey Moses and others now at large within the Port Harcourt magisterial district along Igbo-Etche Road did conspire to commit felony to wit: armed robbery.
“That you Bassey Moses and others now at large at the aforesaid magisterial district while armed with a locally made pistol and other dangerous weapons did rob one Mark Truck with registration number BWR 462 ZE belonging to one Nwachukwu Charity Adaku valued the sum of N14million only.”
The charge added that the alleged offences of Moses are punishable under sections 6 (b) and 1 (2) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Prohibition) Acts, Cap R11, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004.
Gun laws in Nigeria are often enacted with the intention of reducing the use of small arms in criminal activity, specifying weapons perceived as being capable of inflicting the greatest damage.
But despite the nation’s Firearms Acts and their tougher penalties on offenders, the country is still battling with the proliferation of illegal firearms.
This underscores the need for the country to tighten its gun control as Nigeria cannot continue to exist as a gun dominating society.
