Nigerian jailed for possessing pump action gun illegally

A 22-year-old Nigerian Trader has been sentenced to one year imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court for possessing a pump action gun with barrel number 954793 without lawful authority.

Chinadu Okafor charged with possession of arms, pleaded guilty.

The court presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah convicted Okafor, a first-time offender, on his own plea.

It ordered that the pump action gun be given to the Ghana Police Service.

The facts as presented by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Maxwell Oppong is that the complainant is a Military officer residing at the Burma Camp, Accra.

The prosecution said Okafor resided at Railways, near Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Accra.

The prosecution said the complainant also owned a drinking spot and a kiosk which had been rented out at Railway's near Circle.

It said on November 26, this year, at about 7:30 am, the complainant was informed by one of his tenants, a witness in the case to come and check something in her room.

The prosecution said the complainant followed up to the room and saw a brown box under the witness' bed and found a pump action gun with barrel number 954793 in the said box.

It said the complainant interrogated the witness and she mentioned Okafor as her ex-boyfriend and the owner of the gun.

Not quite long, the prosecution said Okafor was spotted at the vicinity and arrested and handed over to the police together with the gun.

It said Okafor in his caution statement admitted hiding the gun under the said bed, but he failed to disclose where he got it from.

The prosecution said efforts were being made by the police to trace the owner from the firearm registry.

GNA