The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Port Harcourt’s
\nzonal office, on Thursday, July 23, 2020, secured the conviction and
\nsentence of Oghenovo Emmanuel and Abdullahi Hassan Bika to five years
\nimprisonment before Justice M. L. Abubakar of the Federal High Court,
\nsitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.<\/p>\n
The convicts were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes
\nCommission, EFCC on one-count separate charge bordering on illegal
\ndealing in petroleum products, contrary to Section 1 (17) (a) of the
\nMiscellaneous offences Act, CAP P17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria of
\n(Revised Edition) 2004, and punishable under Section 1 (17 ) (b) of the
\nsame Act.<\/p>\n
They however pleaded “guilty” to the charge preferred against them by
\nthe EFCC.<\/p>\n
One of the count charges read: “That you Oghenovo Emmanuel, on or about
\n29th day of November 2019 around Sambreino River, Rivers State within
\nthe jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did without lawful authority
\nand appropriate license deal in Petroleum Product and thereby committed
\nan offence contrary to Section 1 (17) (a) of the Miscellaneous offences
\nAct, CAP P17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Revised Edition) 2004,
\nand punishable under Section 1 (17 ) (b) of the same Act.<\/p>\n
Another count read: That you Abdullahi Hassan Bika on or about 29th day
\nof November, 2019 around Sambreino River, Rivers State within the
\njurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did without lawful authority and
\nappropriate license deal in Petroleum Product and thereby committed an
\noffence contrary to Section 1 (17) (a) of the Miscellaneous offences
\nAct, CAP P17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Revised Edition) 2004,
\nand punishable under Section 1 (17 ) (b) of the same Act.<\/p>\n
While reviewing facts of the case, prosecution counsel, M .T Iko
\ntendered some documents and prayed the court to accept the same in
\nevidence, n convicting the defendants accordingly. The documents
\nincluded: a Hand Over note from Nigeria Navy, NNS Pathfinder, a letter
\nof response from the Department of Petroleum Ressources (DPR), Statement
\nof the defendants, and a letter of response from National Inland
\nWaterways Authority (NIWA). They were accepted by the court as evidence
\nand marked as exhibits A, B,C and D respectively.<\/p>\n
In view of the exhibits tendered, the prosecuting counsel, M.T Iko
\nurged the court to convict and sentence the defendant as charged<\/p>\n
However, counsel to both defendants, R. U. Oyiwona, prayed the court to
\ntemper justice with mercy, stressing that the defendants were
\nbreadwinners of their families.<\/p>\n
Justice Abubakar convicted and sentenced the defendants to five years
\nimprisonment each, with an option of fine of One Hundred and Fifty
\nThousand Naira (150,000).<\/p>\n
Emmanuel and Bika’s journey to the prison started when the Commission
\nreceived a letter of petition from the Nigerian Navy, Naval base, Port
\nHarcourt, Rivers State for alleged illegal dealing in petroleum
\nproducts, sometimes on January 9, 2020.<\/p>\n
Investigation showed that the defendants were arrested on December 1,
\n2019, by the Nigerian Navy during their anti-bunkering operations in
\nSambreiro River, in Rivers State.<\/p>\n
Further investigation showed that about eight defendants were arrested
\nalongside a Motor Tanker, Lady Ochy, loaded with an unspecified quantity
\nof illegally refined petrolatum products, suspected to be Crude Oil.<\/p>\n
They were handed over to EFCC for further investigation and possible
\nprosecution.<\/p>\n
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…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":74987,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74986","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other-news"],"yoast_head":"\n