The Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has convicted and sentenced nine out of 19 suspects arrested for alleged crude oil theft in the state. The convicts were arrested during an intelligence-led operation jointly conducted by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Navy.
Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Joy Ikpeme found the nine men guilty on two counts bordering on conspiracy and tampering with an oil pipeline, contrary to Section 1(7) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
The court sentenced each of the convicts to five years imprisonment on count one and 10 years on count two, without an option of fine. The sentences are to run concurrently.
The convicts, alongside 10 other suspects, were arrested earlier in the year after operatives of the DSS and Nigerian Navy uncovered an illegal crude oil theft operation at an oil wellhead identified as ASABO-D in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.
A security source described the conviction as another milestone in ongoing efforts by security agencies to tackle crude oil theft and illegal bunkering activities across Nigeria’s maritime and riverine areas, noting that such activities continued to undermine the country’s oil revenue while causing environmental damage to host communities.
The remaining 10 suspects are expected to face further legal proceedings.
