The Nigerian Customs Service on Thursday arraigned a businessman, Ikenna Aniche, before the Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly selling and dealing in 25.35 kilograms of elephant tusks.
Elephants are wildlife animals classified as endangered species.
The defendant is facing two counts bordering on conspiracy, selling and dealing in 25.35 kilograms of elephant tusks, preferred against him by the NCS.
Aniche was brought before Justice Ibrahim Kala on charges marked FHC/L/5/456c/2024.
The prosecution counsel, Michael Osong, accused Aniche of collaborating with Ifeanyi Nwakpa, who is already serving a jail term for a similar offence.
Osong said the defendant and his accomplice who is serving jail term, committed the alleged crime on February 1, 2024, at Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos.
The prosecutor also told the court that the defendant retained the sum of N2.2m in his company’s account detailed, Arthur Craft Global Limited’s Fidelity Bank, account number: 5080074054.
He said that the money was a proceed of an unlawful act.
Osong also told the court that the defendant was found in possession of various worked elephant ivories.
According to the prosecutor, the offences committed contravened Sections 516 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap. C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
He also told the court that the defendant’s acts contravened Section 7(3) of the National Environmental (Protection of Endangered Species in International Trade Regulations, 2011, and punishable under Section 7(4) of the same Act. And Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.
However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the allegations against him.
Following his plea of not guilty, his lawyer, A. Atata, informed the court that the defendant’s bail application had been filed and had been served the prosecution.
He thereafter urged the court to grant the defendant bail in the most liberal terms.
Justice Kala after taking arguments on the bail application, admitted him to bail in the sum of N10m, with two sureties in like sum.
The judge ordered that one of the sureties must be a Grade Level 14 officer in a government establishment, while the second surety must be a landed property owner within the court’s jurisdiction.
Justice Kala also ordered that the defendant should be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services pending the perfection of the bail terms.
The case was adjourned till February 27, 2025, for trial.
