11 men sentenced to three years in jail after being convicted of illegal oil bunkering

ELEVEN people have been sentenced to three years imprisonment each by a Warri federal high court after they were found guilty of a two-count charge of illegal dealing in petroleum products.

In a major breakthrough in the fight against oil bunkering, the suspects had the charges preferred against them by  the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's (EFCC), Port Harcourt’s zonal office. They are Ephraim Akpan, Agadagba Ochuko, Clement Tommy, Oyayefa Abonne, Bousou Kereotu, Dereye Harry, Lucky Abonne, Dapo Obdare, Friday Ibude, Ebi Ekokeme, and Vincent Elayegha.

EFCC spokesman Tony Oriola, said officers of the Nigerian Navy arrested the convicts and their vessel, MT Petroitti, on May 23, 2014 around the Ofoma oil terminal in Delta State following a tip-off. He added that about 272 tonnes of substance suspected to be crude oil were seized in the incident and handed over to the EFCC.

According to Mr Oriola, the convicts were first arraigned on March 4, 2015, and pleaded not guilty to the charges, prompting the case to go into full trial. However, Justice MS Abubakar in his judgment sentenced each of them to three years in prison on count one, with an option of fine of N200,000 each, while the vessel, MT Petroitti was also found guilty on count two and sentenced to a fine of N500,000.