5 sentenced to 14-years jail term for oil theft -- Court

Justice I.N Buba of the Federal High Court, Asaba June 8, 2013 convicted and sentenced three suspected oil thieves: Oyekan Abiodun, Emotan Henry and Vincent Emayiku to twelve years imprisonment without an option of fine.


The accused persons were arraigned on the 27th July, 2010 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a 4- count charge bordering on conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum product. They were found guilty on all four count charge and were convicted in accordance with the relevant law.

Justice Buba sentenced the accused persons to three years imprisonment each on each of the four count charge without an option of fine. The sentence is to run concurrently with effect from April 30, 2010. The court also ordered that the accused persons forfeit a Man Diesel Truck (with registration No. Lagos XX 312 FST) containing twenty two liters of suspected Low Pour Fuel Oil to the Federal Government.

One of the charges reads, "that you Oyekan Abiodun, Emokpai Henry and Vincent Emayiku and others now at large on or about the 30th day of April 2010 at Amukpokpo Village – Sapele within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit: tampering with oil pipeline and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 3(6) and punishable under Section 1(7) (a) both of the Miscellaneous Offences Act CAP M17 of the Revised Edition (Law of the Federation of Nigeria) Act 2007."
In a related development, Justice Buba on June 7, 2013 also convicted and sentenced two other suspected oil thieves: Daya Daniel and Akpos Michael to 4 years imprisonment with an option of fifty thousand naira (N50, 000.00) fine on each count.

The duo was arraigned on the 3rd of March, 2011 on a two- count charge bordering on conspiracy and illegal dealing in Petroleum Product. They were equally convicted and sentenced to two years jail term on each of the counts with an option of fifty thousand naira each. The court also ordered that they forfeit one wooden Cotonou HP Yamaha engine powered boat containing substance suspected to be Low Pour Fuel Oil to the Federal Government.

One of the charges against the duo reads, "that you Daya Daniel and Akpos Michael on or about the 9th day of June, 2010 at Egwatu, Odidi Community, Warri South West LGA, Delta State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without appropriate license deal in Petroleum Product to wit: Low Pour Fuel Oil (FPFO) conveyed in one wooden Cotonou boat powered with HP Yamaha engine and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(17) (a) and punishable under Section 1(7) both of the Miscellaneous Offences Act CAP M17 of the Revised Edition (Law of the Federation of Nigeria) Act 2007.

The convicts were arrested in 2010 by men of the Joint Task Force, (JTF) Operation Restore Hope at Amukpokpo and Egwatu Community, Delta State respectively and handed over to the EFCC for further investigation and prosecution.



- See more at: http://www.ascology.com/news/crime-stories/3877-court-sentence-5-to-14-years-jail-term-for-oil-theft.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter#sthash.VEc9ojKV.dpuf