15 Oil Thieves Bag Three Years Jail Term in Lagos

Justice Aikawa found them guilty on all three counts, and sentenced them
to one year in prison on each count, which will take effect from the day
of their arrest.

Furthermore, Justice Aikawa ordered the forfeiture of the vessels to the
Federal Government and imposed a fine of Six Hundred Thousand Naira on
each convict aboard MT Zeebrugge and the sum of Nine Hundred Thousand
Naira on each convict aboard MV Ekpere Amaka.

The convicts are: MT Zeebrugge (vessel), Kapilarathana A.J, Yapa,
Ramanayaka Appuhamilage Maithripala, Labunu Hewage Udayanga Silva,
Shashika Yomal Palipana, Amarasinge Arachchige Dasman Chaml, Kariyawasan
Wijewardbana and Joseph Felsianus Fernando.
Others are: MV Ekpere Amaka (vessel), Eliaja Agoso, Assayomo Julius,
Godwin Ajimosun, Jerome Nwaobi, Ukpe Wisdom, Bayonle-Jude Olawunmi,
Vincent Antai and John Zola.

They were first arraigned on three counts of illegal oil dealing in
petroleum product on March 4, 2020 and they pleaded “not guilty” to the
charge.

However, at today’s sitting, the defence counsel, Paul Ejiga intimated
the court that they had the intention of changing their pleas.

The charge was read to them and they all pleaded “guilty” to the charge.

Subsequently, counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo called two witnesses
to give evidence and placed some documents before the court.

Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Oyedepo, an operative with
the EFCC, Moses Awolusi told the court that on the 23rd of December
2019, the commission received a letter of notification from the Nigerian
Navy, NNS Beecroft notifying them of the arrest of seven oil thieves and
a vessel, MT Zeebrugge.

He said: “They were arrested on December 12, 2019 with 838.5 metric tons
of crude oil on board the vessel.

“On the 3rd of January, 2020 we went on board the vessel with officials
of Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR to take samples of the
products on the vessel in the presence of the convicts and was forwarded
for laboratory analysis.
“On the 9th of January, 2020, their statements were recorded under
caution.”

Moses also told the court that the commission wrote a letter to the DPR
to ascertain if the vessel had license to deal in petroleum products and
a response was received.

Letters were also sent to Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety
Agency, NIMASA to confirm if they had a permit to sail on Nigerian
Waters and a response was received as well.

Furthermore, he revealed that investigations showed that the convicts
did not have a license to deal in petroleum product and that they loaded
from a wooden boat around Forcados Terminal without appropriate license.

Another witness, Seun Ogunduyile, an operative with the EFCC, who was
also led in evidence by Oyedepo, told the court that the commission
received a letter dated December 30, 2019 from NNS Beecroft on the
arrest of eight oil thieves and a vessel, MV Ekpere Amaka.
Giving her evidence, Ogunduyile told the court that during the course of
investigation, her team alongside DPR officials went to where the vessel
was located and found 85 Metric Tons of petroleum product.

Investigations revealed that the convicts did not have the license to
deal in petroleum products.

Ogunduyile also told the court that letters were written to the DPR and
NIMASA and responses were received.
Oyedepo, sought to tender all evidence before the court and they were
admitted as exhibits.

One of the counts reads: “That you, MV Ekpere Amaka, Eliaja Agoso,
Assayomo Julius, Godwin Ajimosun, Jerome Nwaobi, Ukpe Wisdom,
Bayonle-Jude Olawunmi, Vincent Antai and John Zola, on the 25th of
December, 2019, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable
Court, conspired amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit: dealing
in 85 metric tons of petroleum products without appropriate licence; and
you, thereby, committed an offence contrary to Section 3(6) of the
Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria
2004 and punishable under Section 1(17) of the same Act.”