The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Port Harcourt’s
zonal office, on Thursday, July 23, 2020, secured the conviction and
sentence of Oghenovo Emmanuel and Abdullahi Hassan Bika to five years
imprisonment before Justice M. L. Abubakar of the Federal High Court,
sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The convicts were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC on one-count separate charge bordering on illegal
dealing in petroleum products, contrary to Section 1 (17) (a) of the
Miscellaneous offences Act, CAP P17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria of
(Revised Edition) 2004, and punishable under Section 1 (17 ) (b) of the
same Act.
They however pleaded “guilty” to the charge preferred against them by
the EFCC.
One of the count charges read: “That you Oghenovo Emmanuel, on or about
29th day of November 2019 around Sambreino River, Rivers State within
the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did without lawful authority
and appropriate license deal in Petroleum Product and thereby committed
an offence contrary to Section 1 (17) (a) of the Miscellaneous offences
Act, CAP P17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Revised Edition) 2004,
and punishable under Section 1 (17 ) (b) of the same Act.
Another count read: That you Abdullahi Hassan Bika on or about 29th day
of November, 2019 around Sambreino River, Rivers State within the
jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did without lawful authority and
appropriate license deal in Petroleum Product and thereby committed an
offence contrary to Section 1 (17) (a) of the Miscellaneous offences
Act, CAP P17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Revised Edition) 2004,
and punishable under Section 1 (17 ) (b) of the same Act.
While reviewing facts of the case, prosecution counsel, M .T Iko
tendered some documents and prayed the court to accept the same in
evidence, n convicting the defendants accordingly. The documents
included: a Hand Over note from Nigeria Navy, NNS Pathfinder, a letter
of response from the Department of Petroleum Ressources (DPR), Statement
of the defendants, and a letter of response from National Inland
Waterways Authority (NIWA). They were accepted by the court as evidence
and marked as exhibits A, B,C and D respectively.
In view of the exhibits tendered, the prosecuting counsel, M.T Iko
urged the court to convict and sentence the defendant as charged
However, counsel to both defendants, R. U. Oyiwona, prayed the court to
temper justice with mercy, stressing that the defendants were
breadwinners of their families.
Justice Abubakar convicted and sentenced the defendants to five years
imprisonment each, with an option of fine of One Hundred and Fifty
Thousand Naira (150,000).
Emmanuel and Bika’s journey to the prison started when the Commission
received a letter of petition from the Nigerian Navy, Naval base, Port
Harcourt, Rivers State for alleged illegal dealing in petroleum
products, sometimes on January 9, 2020.
Investigation showed that the defendants were arrested on December 1,
2019, by the Nigerian Navy during their anti-bunkering operations in
Sambreiro River, in Rivers State.
Further investigation showed that about eight defendants were arrested
alongside a Motor Tanker, Lady Ochy, loaded with an unspecified quantity
of illegally refined petrolatum products, suspected to be Crude Oil.
They were handed over to EFCC for further investigation and possible
prosecution.