Justice E. S. Chukwu of the
Federal High Court, Abuja
today granted the request of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, to
evacuate for safe keeping the petroleum products recovered from the 14
suspected oil thieves currently facing prosecution for charges bordering on
conspiracy and oil bunkering.
At the resumed hearing
today, the EFCC through an ex-parte motion brought pursuant to section 26 of
the EFCC Act, 2004, prayed the court for an order granting leave to the
applicant to evacuate the petroleum products conveyed by the respondents in
trucks and vehicles as specified in the schedule attached to the affidavit, for
safe keeping.
The recovered petroleum products are currently
at the premises of Shittu Alao Barracks of the 177 Battalion, Guards Brigade,
Nigerian Army, Keffi, Nasarawa
State.
EFCC counsel, Elizabeth
Ayodele specifically prayed the court for an order directing the Managing
Director of PPMC, the Department of Petroleum Resources or the relevant arm of
NNPC to evacuate and keep in safe custody the crude oil recovered from the
trucks and any further order or orders as the court may make in the
circumstance.
Justice E.S Chukwu granted
the motion as prayed and adjourned the case to May 27, 2013 for continuation of
hearing.
It will be recalled that the suspects - Joseph Amaechi, Israel
Friday, Ubadia Francis, Abayomi Adebisi, Abdullahi Idris, Samuel Job, Onah
Peter Ode, Sabo Tasha Hassan, Abdullahi Moh'd, Abubakar Abdulkadir, Ehiogu
Paul, Ibrahim Saidu, Garba Mohammed and Bartholomew Onyema were arrested at
Toto Military checkpoint, Nasarawa State with 14 trailer load of suspected
crude oil after a failed attempt to bribe their way through the checkpoint.
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