Eight Suspects Remanded in Prison for Oil Theft

Justice Fatun Riman of a Federal High Court, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has ordered that eight alleged illegal oil dealers being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, be remanded in prison till May 22, 2019, when their bail application will be heard.

They include: Victor Umana, Asuquo Ita Bassey, Okon Edet Solomon, Anthony Okon Effiong, Asuquo John Esuya, Victor Okon Moses, Bassey Effiong Antai and Vincent Okon Antai.

They were arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum products.

They were arrested in April by the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base Ibaka, in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, with a wooden boat loaded with 501 drums of 300 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and were subsequently handed over to the EFCC on April 8, 2019 for further investigation and prosecution.

One of the counts read: “That you, Victor Umana, Asoquo Ita Bassey, Okon Edet Solomon, Anthony Okon Effiong, Asoquo John Esuya, Victor Okon Moses, Bassey Effiong Antai, Vincent Okon Antai on or about the 2nd day of April, 2019 at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without lawful authority and appropriate license conspired among yourselves to commit felony to wit- illegal dealing in one hundred and fifty thousand, three hundred litres (150,300) of petroleum product (Automative Gas Oil AGO) loaded in a wooden boat and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 3 (6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 of the Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) 2004 and punishable under Section 1 (7) (b) of the same Act.”