Justice A. T Mohammed of the Federal High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has convicted and sentenced four oil thieves for illegal oil bunkering.
According to the statement released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the court in convicting the four oil thieves, sentenced the trio of Abdullahi Yahaya, Suleiman Hassan and Salisu Abubakar to two years imprisonment each and handed a fine of N500,000 ( Five Hundred Thousand Naira Only) to one Monday Major for illegal dealing in petroleum products.
The four oil thieves now convicts, were arraigned on Monday, July 29, 2019 by the Port Harcourt zonal office of the anti-graft agency on one-count separate charge, bordering on illegal dealing in petroleum products, 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.
EFCC stated that trouble began for three of the four oil thieves of Yahaya, Hassan and Abubakar when they were intercepted by Nigerian Army, 6 Division, Port Harcourt sometime in June 2019 at Aluu General Area, Port Harcourt distributing Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) using a DAF Tanker with registration number FST 12XB without an appropriate license. Major on the other hand was intercepted distributing diesel with a Mack Tanker with registration number XP 711 PHC without a requisite license.
The one-count charge reads: “That you Abdullahi Yahaya, Suleiman Hassan and Salisu Abubakar, sometime in June, 2019, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court did distribute petroleum product (Automotive Gas Oil) with DAF Tanker with registration number FST 12 XB, without 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.”