The fifteen sailors were arrested near Lagos aboard Moran Security Group’s vessel, Myre Seadiver, in October 2012. Moran Security maintains that the vessel was contracted to provide counter-piracy security to vessels in the region.
LAGOS, Feb 25 (Reuters) – Fifteen Russian sailors charged with illegally bringing weapons into Nigeria last year were granted bail on Monday and released until a hearing in early April, a Lagos court ruled.
Nigerian authorities intercepted a ship and arrested its Russian crew on Oct. 23 after they found several guns and around 8,500 rounds of ammunition aboard.
The Russian sailors have pleaded not guilty and the Moran Security Group, the Russian company that owns the confiscated vessel, has said the ship had permission to carry arms, calling the accusations “groundless”.
“I’m glad that everybody – the court, the prosecution – they saw the need that the accused persons be granted bail. They’ve been in detention for months,” defence lawyer Chukwuwike Okafor told Reuters after the hearing.
He said that, under the terms of the $500,000 bail, the sailors were not allowed to leave Nigeria and were under the care of the Russian ambassador, who must ensure they return for the hearing in April.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry, which has spoken out strongly against the charges, on Monday welcomed the ruling, calling it “the first positive turn in developments surrounding the Russian sailors”, according to the RIA news agency.
It said Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Olugbenga Ashiru, had promised his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that the sailors would be given “a chance to return to their homeland” so as not to upset ties with Moscow.
Arms smuggling to and through Nigeria is rife. Demand for weapons is great because of an Islamist rebellion in the north, armed robbery and kidnapping by gangs in the south and oil theft and piracy in the southeast.
The country is also sometimes used as a conduit for shipping arms to other conflict-ridden parts of West Africa.
In 2010, a consignment of rocket launchers, grenades and other explosives from Iran was seized in Lagos, causing a diplomatic row between Nigeria and Iran. It also strained ties between Iran and Senegal, which accused Iranian security forces of trying to supply weapons to its Casamance rebels. (Reporting by Angela Ukomadu in Lagos, additional reporting by Gabriela Baczynska in Moscow,; writing by Joe Brock,; editing by Tom Pfeiffer)
(c) 2013 Thomson Reuters, Click For Restrictions
Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.
Join the 109,853 members that receive our newsletter.
Have a news tip? Let us know.
With the Indian Ocean monsoon season ending, Somali piracy activity is expected to rise. After a four-year absence, Somali piracy has resurged dramatically in the past year, culminating in pirates...
The European Union’s Operation ATALANTA is monitoring a Chinese fishing vessel allegedly hijacked off Somalia’s northeastern Puntland coast. The vessel, which remains within Somali territorial waters, has been confirmed to...
Two Somali pirates have been brought to justice in the United States for their roles in a harrowing 977-day hostage-taking of an American journalist. In a landmark judgment, Somali nationals...
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
Sign Up
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 109,853 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
