Date Published: 05/01/10
Illegal Oil Bunkering: 6 Ghanaians jailed 96 years
A Federal High Court sitting in Benin , Edo State on Friday, April 30, 2010 sentenced six Ghanaians and their Nigerian accomplice to eight years imprisonment on each of the two count charges preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The sentence is, however to run concurrently. The convicts: Frank Opoku Anim, 42, Ernest Anim, 35, Wellington Adobah, 51, , Kwesi Eminsang , 48, Seth Kpodisime ,49, and Abraham Yao Ahiador , 50- all Ghanaians, and their Nigerian accomplice, Ochuko Omoreode, 29, were on 29 December, 2008 arrested along Chanomi Creek, near Escravos, Delta State, by officers of the Joint Task Force (JTF) and surrendered them to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for further investigation and prosecution.
They were later arraigned on February 24, 2009 on a two count charge of conspiracy and illegal dealing in bunkering . 4,000 metric tonnes of petroleum products suspected to be crude oil, illegally bunkered in a vessel marked MT HOPE were found in their possession. Giving his ruling on Friday, the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris found all of them guilty on each of the two charges and sentenced them to eight years imprisonment on each of the two charges, with no option of fine. The sentence is to run concurrently. Before the sentence was pronounced, defense counsel, Nkire D. Nkire tried frantically but fruitlessly to appeal for milder sentence but the judge insisted that crimes that bordered on economic sabotage should not be treated with a slap on the wrist.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been on the forefront of prosecution of oil bunkering criminals in the South-South since its inception. A group of 14 Filipinos had earlier been sentenced to 65 years imprisonment for committing a similar offence in 2008. The conviction of the illegal oil bunkerers is expected to check such practices across the country.
Femi Babafemi
Head, Media & Publicity
30/4/2010
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