A 37-year-old mason, who allegedly had in his possession a locally manufactured rifle and 341 rounds of Sellier and Bellot 9mm luger ammunition without lawful authority, has been remanded by an Accra Circuit Court. 

Mr Benjamin Dzidornu, the suspect, pleaded not guilty. 

The court presided over by Mrs Susana Eduful remanded the accused person into police custody to reappear on August 29, 2023. 

It directed the prosecution to file and serve all disclosures and witness statements before the next adjourned date. 

The facts presented by Police Chief Inspector Dickson Atunah, was that based on intelligence gathered on August 1, 2023, a team from the National Intelligence Bureau, led by ASO Nana Owusu Ababio, proceeded to Manet on the Spintex road and arrested the accused person, a national of Benin in an uncompleted building. 

The prosecution said the team conducted a search and retrieved a locally manufactured rifle, 341 rounds of Sellier Bellot 9mm luger ammunition and a cutlass. 

It said the accused person also known as “Benin” was from Benin and presently seeking greener pastures in Ghana and resided at Manet, Spintex road. 

The prosecution said the accused person was a member of a group of land guards based at Manet, adding that “this group of land guards is headed by one mallam alias ‘Commander’.” 

It said the accused person was living in an uncompleted building where he was concealing the locally manufactured rifle and 341 rounds of ammunition. 

Due to this, the prosecution said the accused person was arrested from the said location on August 1, 2023, and the seized items were retrieved from his room. 

It said during the investigation, the accused person, in his statement, denied ownership of the said locally manufactured rifle and ammunition found in his room. 

The prosecution said the accused person indicated that they belonged to one Hamsa, a land guard under the leadership of Mallam who operated around Manet. 

“The said Hamsa came to keep them in his room about two months ago,” the prosecution added. 

It said the accused person could not tell the police the exact location or the whereabouts of Hamsa but only provided his telephone number. 

The prosecution said efforts were underway to apprehend Hamsa.