A serving Major in the U.S. Army, Wisdom Osagiede-Ogbewekom, was on Wednesday sentenced to 10 years in gaol by an Ikeja Magistrates' Court, for illegal possession of ammunition.

The Magistrate, Mrs A.T. Omoyele, found the 46-year-old soldier guilty of illegal possession of 95 rounds of .9mm live ammunition.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Osagiede-Ogbewekom, who was the head of the U.S. Army Civil Affairs team in Kirkuk, Iraq, was arraigned on Jan. 4.

The prosecution, led by Mr Roman Unuigbe, had preferred a two-count charge of unlawful possession of firearms against him.

Omoyele held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubts.

She said: ``A prima facie has been established against the defendant. He did not deny the possession of the 95 rounds of ammunition without licence.

``Although the defendant is aware that he had no valid licence to carry firearms within the country, it was clear he never intended to turn it over to the police before his arrest.''

She held that the offence contravened Section 4 of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. R11, Vol. 14, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

Unuigbe had claimed that the accused was arrested last December in Lagos for possessing the ammunition.

The prosecution witness, Insp. Friday Abiodun, had told the court that the police had on Dec. 19, arrested one Amen Osagiede-Ogbewekon at Edegbe Motors Transport Park at Sabo, Yaba in Lagos.

Abiodun had alleged that Amen, who was arrested with the sophisticated bullets, admitted that it belonged to his brother, a soldier in the U.S.
Army.

He had said that Abiodun's explanation subsequently led to the arrest of Osagiede-Ogbewekon and that the police wrote to the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria to confirm his identity.

According to him, the embassy wrote back to confirm that the accused was a serving major and was in Nigeria on annual leave.

Abiodun had said that during interrogation, the accused confessed that he bought the bullets through the U.S. Army and that they were brought into the country for self protection.

The witness had claimed that the bullets were sophisticated and could only be used on a Berretta or an SMG, which were only assigned to top security operatives in Nigeria. (NAN)

Jakumo: If this man is in fact a serving US Army major, then he will be released before long. US military personnel are often REQUIRED to carry side arms for personal protection, regardless of whether they are on or off duty. Given the current wave of suicide bombings recorded over the past year, Nigeria is one of the countries where such security precautions will no doubt be prescribed, so this purported "offence" will be handled in that light.

The United States and Nigeria share close military, political and commercial ties, which will mitigate the outcome of this arrest in favor of the defendant, IF his identity checks out.

violent:


This information is NOT factually correct! US military actually does have a very strict process for individual possession of side arms.

Ordinarily, a military officer in the US may buy and own a firearm like any other civilian, but you can't carry this with you everywhere you go. As a matter of fact, you will be arrested if you are caught carrying a personal side arm in a US barrack without the approval of a provost marshal. In combat zones or during special operations, a few US officials, mostly medics are allowed to carry registered firearms that must be returned to the arms room after operations.

Neither the US nor its embassies will put up an official excuse for this dude; as a matter of fact, if the US military requires him to carry a side arm while in his hometown -- a situation that is very unlikely except if he was there on special assignments--- the US would have obtained approval from the Nigerian government. Nigeria is a sovereign country with its own constitution!


All that said, I'm still looking around for information on how one may obtain license to carry arms in Nigeria, if anybody has this, it will be very helpful

eGuerrilla: Nigerian Court jails U.S. Army Major over illegal possession of ammunition
[img]http://pointblanknews.com/new/thumbnail.php?file=Nigerian_Court_141732189.jpg&size=article_medium[/img]

http://pointblanknews.com/new/exclusive/4042-nigerian-court-jails-u-s-army-major-over-illegal-possession-of-ammunition.html

Eltonluigi: Another failed spy mission by the CIA, the US goverment won't claim any responsibity.

Okija_juju: The embassy would negotiate his release and deportation the United States

Kenyy:

This would have been the case if the person in question was to be a White American US ARMY MAJOR-the man in question is a Bini man from Edo State, South South, Nigeria.

Phonon: The US Military always makes sure their personnel face justice in the US and not on foreign soil.This whole thing does not add up.

Kenyy: ...I guess the table would have been different if the person in question was to be a White American US ARMY MAJOR...A case of let them jail him, he is their son...Mind you, that name above must definitely be from Edo State; in fact, HE IS A BINI MAN! I hope this is not the continued conspiracy OF THE SOUTH WEST against the SOUTH SOUTH?

Dede1:


Thanks very much for the above write-up. It is very rare to read accurate information from NL without undue influence of tribal bias. However, I guess Nigeria government is very silly with its ban on public possession of firearm. How about the law, Section 4 of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. R11, Vol. 14, Laws of the Federation, 2004? It sucks because every firearm case does not necessarily relate to robbery.

I really don't think it sucks that it's not legal to own a firearm. I think Nigeria and Nigerians are still growing and learning. As you can see from the daily hustle and bustle attitude our people, coupled with impatience and the "do-you-know-who-I-am" syndrome, people would be shooting each other like it was legal to do so. Someone has a very bad day at work + probably trying to deal with the frustration of impotence uhm. . . gets his car scratched by a danfo, he might get all trigger-happy.

Like I said we are still learning, it's not very long ago that Nigerians started wearing their seat belts willingly, without thinking of LASTMA. A few years ago this wasn't the case. Also the same with littering (throwing trash out your car windows) . Not to say people are still not doing these, but we are still learning not only what is right, but what is reasonable.

Legalising firearms at this level of our development, to me, is not advisable. I might not be right but that's my view, maybe not the intention of the Law Makers. Altho there's the need for solutions to self protection. I have been thinking of how to legally get a hold tasers for this purpose.

Wallie: What some of you fail to realize is that the guy might have been trafficking arms illegally! When you're on leave from the military and off military barracks, you're just like any other US citizen and as such, will only be afforded the same diplomatic access to the US embassy that every US citizen gets.

PhysicsQED:

He's not an arms trafficker. He's actually of (Benin) royal descent and is a career army officer in the U.S.

Ironically enough, he had initially wanted to join the Nigerian army:

http://www.stripes.com/news/captain-gives-troops-iraqis-the-royal-treatment-1.34116

He's more or less a good guy in a bad situation.

Wallie:
Actually, he's not a "career" army officer because he's in the army reserve. In the reserves, you only serve part-time as opposed to active-duty soldiers who serve full-time.

Phonon: Nobody is asking the right questions.How did he get the ammunition through security onto an aircraft that left the US for Nigeria?Is he a member of the US Diplomatic Corps here in Nigeria?If he is (or was) then it must have passed through immigration in a diplomatic bag.If not,this whole thing is plain STUPID!The US Military always makes sure their personnel face justice in the US and not on foreign soil.This whole thing does not add up.

@ post, I don't know if there's any way for an ordinary citizen (not a soldier, policeman, security operative, etc.) to obtain a license to carry guns in Nigeria but I got the impression that one couldn't just do that anyhow so I'm a bit puzzled by the way the story makes it seem like he could have obtained a license. Does anyone know if just anyone can get a license?

violent:
There's actually a way for an ordinary citizen to obtain license for guns. In the snipped attachment below, the 1990 constitution states that individuals can own fire arms if granted a license by the President or the Inspector General of Police.