The Department of State Services, DSS, Niger State Command, has secured the conviction of one Usman Abubakar for illegal possession of firearms.
Abubakar was arraigned before the Minna Chief Magistrate Court 1 on Wednesday, January 3rd, and was charged for possessing an automatic pump action gun and four live cartridges without having an authorized permit.
The suspect was brought to court by the operatives of the DSS and was arraigned by Malam Abdulmalik Sani, the head of the Legal Unit of the Command.
The First Information Report, FIR, presented in court said that Abubakar had two magnum pump action rifles without a lawful permit which were found concealed in a bag.
According to the FIR, Abubakar was arrested by a joint patrol team along Minna-Paiko road alongside his brother who managed to escape arrest.
The FIR stated that the crime committed was contrary to sections 9 (1) and (2) and punishable under Section 27 (I) (b) (111) of the Firearms Act Cap F28.
The court was informed that Abubakar confessed during interrogation that he bought the gun in Nasarawa State at the rate of N600,000 for self-defense due to the armed banditry attacks in their community.
The defendant pleaded for leniency, stating that he purchased the gun to protect himself.
The Presiding Chief Magistrate, Hajiya Umma Mohammed, convicted Abubakar but reserved the sentence until January 17.
