EFCC sends oil thief to 4 year jail term

isaac

December 5, 2014 5:05 PM

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been able to secure a conviction for an oil thief.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has scored another victory in securing a 4-year- jail term for a petroleum products thief who has been engaging in the illegal trade for years.

The judgement was gotten before Justice A. Onyetenu of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, when one Godfrey Obioha was sent to prison without an option of fine. The court also ordered the forfeiture of a Mercedes Benz truck with registration number: AG 601 ABA, to the Federal Government.

The convict was found guilty on a two-count charge of illegally dealing in petroleum products without appropriate license, preferred against him by the agency.

Godfrey was arrested in 2008 by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, with 30,000 litres of substances suspected to be automotive gas oil, without license and handed over to the EFCC for further investigation and possible prosecution.

The charge against him reads:

"That you Godfrey Obioha and Bright Obioha, on or about the 10th April, 2008, at Port Harcourt, did without appropriate license deal in petroleum product to wit: 30,000 litres of petroleum product suspected to be AGO (diesel) conveyed in a Mercedes Benz truck with Reg. No AG 601 ABA for sale and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(17) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 of the Revised Edition (laws of the Federation of Nigeria) 2007."

isaac