COURT FREES 2 LEBANESE SUSPECTS,1 JAILED FOR LIFE

Tahal Roda been taken to priosn after the sentence

Justice Ademola Adeniyi of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, dismissed the 16-count criminal charge that was preferred against the Lebanese co-owner of Amigo Supermarket, Mustapha Fawaz, by the Federal Government, following his alleged involvement in the illegal importation of arms into Nigeria.

Equally discharged by the court yesterday was another Lebanese, Abdullahi Thahini, who was arrested at the MallamAminuKanoInternationalAirport on May 11, 2013, and the sum of $61, 170, recovered from him.

The government had alleged that Thahini, who it said had attempted to escape from the country via a Middle East airline, was deeply involved in terrorism financing in the country.

However, the court, yesterday, found the 3rd accused person, Tahal Roda, guilty on two counts of criminal conspiracy contrary to section 1(14) (a) (i) of Miscellaneous Offences Act, CAP M17, LFN, 2004, and sentenced him to life imprisonment on each of the counts, stressing that his sentence should run concurrently.

It will be recalled that the federal government had specifically alleged that Fawaz who is equally the owner of Wonderland Amusement Park Resort in Abuja and his compatriots were members of the military wing of a Lebanon based terrorist organization, Hezbollah.