The Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has convicted and sentenced nine of the 19 persons arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) for crude oil th+ft.
The presiding judge, Justice Joy Ikpeme, found the nine convicts guilty of a two-count charge of conspiracy and tampering with an oil pipeline, contrary to Section 1(7) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
The court sentenced them to five years imprisonment on the first count and 10 years on the second count, with no option of a fine. The sentences will run concurrently, meaning the convicts will effectively spend 10 years in prison.
The suspects were arrested earlier this year during an intelligence-led operation carried out by the Nigerian Navy and DSS. They were allegedly caught ste@ling crude oil from the ASABO-D oil well head in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
A security source said the conviction was another step in the Navy’s ongoing efforts to tackle crude oil th+ft and illegal bunkering in Nigeria’s maritime and riverine areas, which contribute to revenue losses and environmental damage in host communities.
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