The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, on March 4, 2015
arraigned Eleven suspected oil thieves:
Ephraim Akpan, Agadagba Ochuko, Clement
Tommy, Oyayefa Abonne, Bousou Kereotu,
Dereye Harry, Lucky Abonne, Dapo Obdare,
Friday Ibude, Ebi Ekokeme, Vincent
Elayegha, and the vessel, MT Petroitti
before Justice M.S Abubakar of the Federal
High Court Warri, Delta State on a 2- count
charge bordering on conspiracy and illegal
dealing in petroleum product.
The accused persons and their vessel were
arrested on May 23, 2014 by officers of the
Nigerian Navy following a tip off around Ofoma
oil terminal in Delta State, with about 272MT of
substance suspected to be crude oil and handed
over to the EFCC for further investigation and
prosecution. They pleaded not guilty.
One of the charges read, “That you Ephraim
Akpan, Agadagba Ochuko, Clement Tommy,
Oyayefa Abonne, Bousou Kereotu, Dereye Harry,
Lucky Abonne, Dapo Obadare, Friday Ibude, Ebi
Ekokeme, Vincent Elayegha, M.T Petroitti, on or
about the 23rd day of March, 2014 around
Ofoma oil terminal in Delta State within the
jurisdiction of this honorable court did without
appropriate authority deal with 272 metric tons
of crude oil conveyed in MT Petroitti and thereby
committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (17)
(a) of the Miscellaneous Offence Act Cap M17 of
the Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of
Nigeria) 2007 and punishable under Section 1
(17) of the same Act.
In view of their plea, the prosecution counsel
E.Edebor prayed the court for a date to present
his witnesses for commencement of trial. In
response, defendants’ counsel S.A.Somiari
informed the court that he had filed his motion
for bail and assured the court his clients would
make themselves available for trial.
Justice Mohammed granted bail to the eleven
accused persons in the sum of One Million Naira
(N1, 000,000, 00) and two sureties in like sum.
One of the sureties must have landed properties
within the jurisdiction of the court. The matter
was adjourned to May 5, 2015 for trial.
