Mkpoikana Udoma Port Harcourt — The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at the weekend, convicted and sentenced two oil thieves to one year imprisonment each, for illegal dealing in petroleum products.
The convicts, Friday David and Ikechukwu Utobo, were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Port Harcourt zonal office, on one-count separate charge bordering on illegal dealing in petroleum products.
One of charge read: “That you Ikechukwu Utobo being the driver on board Mark Tanker with registration number KPR 667 XA on or about the 3rd of March , 2020 at Iwofe, Port Harcourt within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without appropriate licence, deal in petroleum product to wit: illegally refined PMS/AGO and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17 of the Revised Edition (LFN), 2007 and punishable under Section 1 of the same Act.”
The convicts pleaded “guilty” to their separate charges.
In view of their plea, prosecution counsel, M.T. Iko, called a witness, Assistant Detective Inspector, Isaac Kazzar, who is a staff of EFCC, to review the facts of the case and tender exhibits.
Oil theft: EFCC secures conviction for truck drivers in Rivers
Iko urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants as charged.
The Judge, Justice I.M. Sani, convicted and sentenced David and Utobo to one year imprisonment with an option of fine of N400,000 each.
Justice Sani also ordered that the products on board the trucks be sold by the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court and the proceeds paid into the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account.
