8 December 2022
Viktor Bout, one of di most notorious arms dealers for di world don regain freedom from US custody as part of one prisoner exchange wit US basketball star Brittney Griner.
Griner bin dey for custody since February afta Moscow airport officials see cannabis oil for her luggage wen she dey return to US afta she play finish for Russia.
Rumours bin fly up and down for US media for months say senior state department officials bin try to to secure Griner release in exchange for di arms dealer freedom.
But who be di man wey pipo sabi as Merchant of Death?
Di US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) bin deport Bout from Thailand go US for 2010, afta one string operation dem carry out two years earlier.
Di agents from DEA bin pose as potential buyers from di Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, wey dey known as Farc. Dem don disband dat group afta United States classify am as a terrorist organization.
Bout bin claim say im be entrepreneur wit legit international transport business, say dem dey wrongly accuse am say im dey try sell weapons to arm South American rebels - di victims of US political machinations.
But one jury for New York no believe im story.
E dey sentenced to 25 years in prison for April 2012 afta court find am guilty of conspiracy to kill Americans and US officials, deliver anti-aircraft missiles plus aiding one terrorist organisation.
Im three-week trial hear say Bout know say di weapons na to use am kill US pilots wey dey work wit Colombian officials. Prosecutors say e reply say: "We get di same enemy."
Who be Victor Bout?
Bout come from Russia. Dem born am for Soviet-ruled Tajikistan. E begin im career for air transport for di early 1990s, afta di fall of di USSR.
According to one 2007 book - Merchant of Death, by security experts Douglas Farah and Stephen Braun - Bout use military planes wey dem leave for di airfields of di collapsing Soviet empire for di early 1990s take build im business.
Di sturdy Antonovs and Ilyushins bin dey up for sale along wit dia crews, and dem bin dey perfect for delivering goods to bumpy wartime airstrips around di world.
Bout - na 45 wen e dey sentenced – dem say e don begin channel weapons through series of front companies go areas wia dem dey fight war for Africa.
Di UN name am as an associate of former Liberian President Charles Taylor – wey dey convicted for 2012 on charges of aiding and abetting war crimes during di Sierra Leone civil war.
"[Bout na] businessman, dealer and transporter of weapons and minerals [wey] support former President Taylor regime for one effort to destabilise Sierra Leone and gain illicit access to diamonds," UN documents state.
Media reports for di Middle East claim say e be gun-runner for al-Qaeda and di Taliban.
He also dey alleged say na im arm both sides for Angola civil war plus supply weapons to warlords and goments from di Central African Republic and di Democratic Republic of Congo to Sudan and Libya.
For inside one interview wit UK Channel 4 News for 2009, e deny say im no ever get any deal wit al-Qaeda or di Taliban.
But e admit say im fly weapons to Afghanistan for di mid-1990s, e say di commanders bin dey use am fight against di Taliban.
He also claim say im bin help di French goment transport goods to Rwanda afta di genocide, e also say im bin transport UN peacekeepers.
But law enforcement agencies pursue am throughout di 2000s. He comot im house from Belgium for 2002 wen authorities issue arrest warrant on am.
Many pipo reason say Bout dey travel under several aliases, and dey move from kontris to kontris like di United Arab b Emirates and South Africa before e resurface for Russia for 2003.
Di same year, British Foreign Office minister Peter Hain coin di nickname Merchant of Death.
Afta e read one 2003 report about am, oga Hain say: "Bout na di leading merchant of death wey be di principal conduit for planes and supply routes wey dey cari arms... from East Europe, principally Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine to Liberia and Angola.
"Di UN don expose Bout as di centre of one spider web of shady arms dealers, diamond brokers plus oda operatives, wey dey sustain di wars."
How US take arrest Victor Bout?
Di US bin make moves against Bout throughout di 2000s, dem freeze im assets for 2006, but law no dey say dem fit prosecute am for US.
Instead, US agents bid dia time until 2008 wen dem pose as buyers for Colombia Farc rebels and gain introduction to Bout through one of im former associates.
Bout say di US case against am dey politically motivated; dem quote im wife as she tok say Bout only connection na wit Colombia "tango lessons".
Russian authorities support am throughout im legal proceedings, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov bin promise to fight to secure im return to Russia and tok say Thai court decision dey "unjust and political".
Di 2005 film Lord of War, wey dey loosely based on di arms dealer's life, show say di anti-hero escape justice at di end.
But dat kain ending no work for Bout, wey don dey for US prison since im conviction for 2012.
Who be Brittney Griner - di freed US Basketball star?
American basketball star Brittney Griner just regain freedom afta nearly 10 months for Russian custody, as part of one long-rumoured prisoner exchange wey officials for Washington and Moscow carry out.
Dem fit argue am say Griner na di greatest female basketball player of all time and na di marquee player for di Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) for US.
Di 32-year-old disappear on 17 February - just days before Russian attack Ukraine - as she dey pass through Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport.
Dem later charge her wit accuse say she carry cannabis oil for her luggage and sentence her to nine years in prison.
Dem born di future WNBA star on 18 October 1990 to Raymond and Sandra Griner for Texas.
Her father na veteran of di Vietnam War, wia e serve two tours of duty as a US Marine, and e later become police officer for Houston.
She grow up for strict household and later write for her autobiography say her father get "so many damn rules" wey e design to keep her safe and "on di right path".
Di star – wey be 6ft 9in (2.05 metres) tall – remember how pipo bin dey always bully her sake of her height and her tomboyish appearance wen she be small pikin.
Griner bin come out as gay for di age of 22, wen her career start to boom, she become one of di most prominent LGBT athletes for di world.
For 2013, Griner become di first openly gay player wey Nikego endorse for inside one multi-million dollar deal.
In 2019, she marry her partner Cherelle Watson afta one heavily publicised divorce from her ex-wife and fellow WNBA player Glory Johnson.
After a successful college career wit Baylor University, di Arizona-based Phoenix Mercury draft Griner as di number one pick for di 2013 WNBA.
Di star go on to become one of WNBA most dominant players for history, widely considered di best offensive player for di league - and her ability to dunk remains unmatched.
She don win WNBA championship, eight WNBA All-Star awards, four EuroLeague titles and two Olympic gold medals.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o67CZ5qopV%2BltqWzyKdmmqqknrCtsdJomqlolGrHdLCVbXCo