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Again, court jails 12 oil thieves in Rivers

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Auto dealer arraigned for laundering N207m

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, presided over by Justice A. T. Mohammed, has convicted 12 fraudsters for illegal dealing in petroleum products.

The convicts who are Abubakar Lawal;  Mustapha Babagana;  Christian Nweke;   Ikpaikpai Elvis;  Abdullahi Bawa;  Hamson Sadiq; John Owoicho;  Elewa Roy; Areh Sunday;  Nafiu Sani, Emeka Michael and Kingsely Ihuoma, got their jail terms on Friday.

They were prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Port Harcourt’s zonal office.

Their convictions came after the EFCC had earlier on Thursday, also secured the conviction of 14 oil thieves comprising 12 individuals, one company and a vessel.

The Thursday convicts are Kabiru Saidu; Saleh Muhammed; Yusuf Bala;  Salisu Usman;  Hamisu Sha’Ibu;  Aliyu Muhammed;  Umar Mohammed;  Muhammed Aliya; Sunday Emmanuel Udo; Mallam Garba Abubakar, Ifeanyi Duru and  Sani Haruna. The company and the vessel are:  Solution Mark Nig.Ltd, and M.V. Chi-Ebubeh.

The EFCC had arraigned the 12 latest convicts on  one-count separate charge bordering on illegal dealing in petroleum products.

The count charges read: “That you Abubakar Lawal sometimes in April, 2018, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did distribute petroleum product (Automotive Gas Oil) with Daf with registration number AKD 893 XG without a licence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 4(1) of the Petroleum Act, Cap P10 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004 and punishable under Section 4(6) of the same Act”.

The defendants pleaded guilty to the count charge when it was read to them.

In view of their pleas, prosecuting counsels Samuel Chime; M. T Iko; E. Abbiyesku; F. O Amama; Celestina Okorie and K. W Chukwuma-Eneh prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly.

Counsels to the defendants, Babatunde Opadola;  J. C Okere;  O. M Ofodili;  A. D Ndaboye, C. O Odoemena, and M. M Suleiman did not oppose  the prayers of the prosecution.

READ ALSO: Nigeria imported 5.61bn litres of petrol in Q2 2019

Justice Mohammed convicted and sentenced Lawal, Babagana and Nweke to two years imprisonment with an option of fine of N100,000.00 each while Elvis; Bawa; Sadiq; Owoicho; Roy; Sunday; Sani, Michael and Ihuoma were sentenced to a fine of N100.000 each  respectively.

The Judge also ordered that the products conveyed in the various trucks be forfeited to the Federal Government.

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