$9.3m arms deal breaches Acts of National Assembly – Reps

The House committee on public procurement headed by Jumoke Okoya-Thomas on Thursday disclosed that the transfer of the $9.3 million for alleged arms deal contravened three major Acts of the National Assembly.

The Acts are Money Laundering Prohibition Act; Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Act and Public Procurement Act (PPA).

Similarly, the Act which seeks to amend Fire Arms Act F28 LFN 2004 obtained by BusinessDay also provides for stiffer penalties for illicit possession, transfer, manufacturing, dealing in and housing of fire arms, small arms and light weapons and for other related matters, recommended a jail term of 25 years imprisonment for perpetuators of such illicit Act.Section 27(1) of the amendment bill sponsored by Dakuku Peterside, chairman, House committee on petroleum

(downstream), provides that “any person who contravenes any of the provisions of this Act specified in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this section, is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction (2004 No. F28) while Section 17 of the principal Act prohibits the importation or exportation of fire arms, small arms or light weapons or ammunition other than through prescribed ports.

Section 22 of the principal Act prohibits manufacture, assembly, or repair of fire arms and ammunition, and carries a minimum sentence of 25 years while section 8 restricts the possession or control of ammunition in respect of certain fire arms, small arms and light weapons.

Section 12 (3)(1) further provides that “All houses, cars, vessels and properties used in the keeping, dealing in, transfer, manufacturing of illicit fire arms, small and light weapons are compulsorily forfeited by the owners and acquired by the state.

Section 4(1) also provides that “All owners of houses, cars, vessels and properties used in dealing in fire arms has the burden to prove lack of knowledge for harbouring, transferring or housing any fire arms.”

The Fire Arms Act (Amended bill 2013) empowered the inspector-general of police to establish and maintain a central fire arms database both of the manufacturers of arms, dealers, importers of arms and all persons licensed for fire arms in the country.