Arraignment Of Five Suspects Stalled Over Language Barrier

THE arraignment of five suspects at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos was stalled  on Wednesday due to the absence of a translator.

The five Guineans were arrested by officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for allegedly trying to export N22.3bn worth of pangolin scales and elephant tusks.

The accused were supposed to have been arraigned on a four-count charge of collecting, loading, exporting, transporting and keeping pangolin scales and elephant tusks.

NCS Legal Adviser, Smart Akande, said the accused Troare Djakonba, Muyribein Bereye, Isiaka Musa, Mohammed Bereta, and Sediki Berete, are all non-English speaking foreign nationals, adding that the charges were expected to be read to them in a language they would understand.

However, Thursday, August 26, 2021, has been set for a fresh arraignment when a translator will be in court to read out the charges to the accused persons.

The NCS, had on August 4, 2021, arrested the suspects with different kilograms of Pangolin scales and Elephant tusks worth N22.3 billion in Lagos.

Kayode Shopekan

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