Court convicts eight illegal oil dealers in Uyo

A federal high court sitting in Uyo on Wednesday convicted eight illegal dealers of petroleum products.

In a judgment by Justice Fatun Riman, the illegal dealers were given six months jail term with N20,000 fine option each and a total forfeiture to the federal government of 150,300 litres of diesel (automotive gas oil, AGO), illegally conveyed in 501 drums.

They were prosecuted by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The suspects are: Victor Umana; Asuquo Ita Bassey; Okon Edet Solomon; Anthony Okon Effiong; Asuquo John Esuya; Victor Okon Moses; Bassey Effiong Antai and Vincent Okon Antai.

They had earlier been arraigned the EFCC on May 10, on a three-count charge on conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum products.

But at the resumption of the hearing of the case on Wednesday, the suspects who had earlier pleaded not guilty later resolved to a plea bargain agreement reached with the Commission, and pleaded guilty to a one-count amended charge read to them.

The charge reads: “That you Victor Umana, Asuquo Ita Bassey, Okon Edet Solomon, Anthony Okon Effiong, Asuquo John Esuya, Victor Okon Moses, Bassey Effiong Antai and Vincent Okon Antai on or about the second day of April, 2019 at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, without lawful authority and the appropriate license did deal in 150, 300 litres of Automotive Gas Oil, AGO (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Three Hundred litres of petroleum product, Automotive Gas Oil, AGO), stored in 501(Five Hundred and One) drums, 300 (Three Hundred) litres, each loaded in a wooden boat and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 4(1) of the Petroleum Act Cap P10 of the Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) 2004 and punishable under Section 4(6) of the same Act.”

Read also: Navy arrests Indian, 17 others for crude oil theft

In view of their guilty plea, the prosecution counsel Adebayo Soares urged the court to convict the offenders and order forfeiture of the petroleum product to the federal government.

But the defence counsel, Wole Ayewumi made an appeal for a light sentence for the convicts on the grounds that they are married men with no prior criminal records and did not waste the time of the court.

However, Justice Riman in her ruling sentenced them accordingly.

Recall that the convicts were arrested in April by the Nigerian Navy ‘Forward Operating Base’, Ibaka, at Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, and handed over to the EFCC on April 8, 2019, for further investigation and prosecution.

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