The Lagos Federal High Court has on Tuesday proceeded to free the 15 Russians accused of unlawfully importing arms and ammunition into Nigeria, following an application by the government to withdraw the charges against them.

The Russian sailors – Zhelyazkov Andrey; Savchenko Sergel; Lopatin Alexey; Baranovskly Nikolay;  Llia Shubov; Dimitry Bannyrh; along with Alexander Tsarikov; Kononov Sergel; Chichkanov Vasily; Varlygin Igor; Komilov Alexander; Mishin Pavel; Korotchenko Andrey; Vorobev Mikhail and Stepan Oleksiuk were arrested by the Nigeria Navy on October 18, last year, onboard a vessel, MV Myre Seadiver, for allegedly carrying cache of arms into the nation’s water without authorization.

They were handed over to the prosecuting agencies, who later charged the accused to court on four counts of unlawful importation of firearms and non disclosure of content of vessel.

They had pleaded not guilty to the charges and were released on bail to the Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, while the vessel was admitted to bail in a bond of $500,000(USD) to be obtained from First Bank Plc.

The music changed when at the resumed hearing before Tsoho, prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Usman Hajara informed the court of an amended charge before it, stressing that all previous charges against the Russians have been dropped while an amended charge against one Stanley Chineye and his firm, Maritime Services Limited was filed.

Hajara prayed the court to strike out the charges against the Russians, their vessel as well as their company, Moral Security Group Limited, while the amended charge is substituted.

Tsoho however,  granted the prosecution’s prayer by striking out the charges against the foreigners and fixed November 26 for trial of the new accused.

According to the amended charge, Chineye allegedly acted as agent to the Russian vessel and had allegedly misguided them that he had obtained permit from the navy for the vessel to enter the nation’s waters, which was false.