An Ibiono Ibom High Court in Akwa Ibom State has sentenced a 38-year-old hunter to 10 years in prison for illegal possession of firearms.
Edet Akpan George, a married man with eight children, was convicted yesterday by Justice Okon Okon, having found him guilty of being in possession of firearms, contrary to Section 3(1) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act, Laws of the Federation 2004.
The section provides that “any person having a firearm in his possession or under his control in contravention of the Firearms Act shall upon conviction, be sentenced to a fine of N20,000 or to imprisonment for a period of not less than 10 years or both.”
Justice Okon said the convict in his evidence in court, “did not deny that he had guns but rather, gave evidence of what he used the guns, which he inherited from his father, for.”
He said the convict who “admitted that he had two guns and a bullet, saw nothing wrong having guns as a trained and professional member of the Association of Hunters with identity card and certificate of participation in training programmes conducted in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force.”