EFCC Press Release
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The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, today at a Federal High Court sitting in Port
Harcourt, Rivers
State arraigned nine
persons for offences bordering on illegally dealing in petroleum products.
Clement Oguntuwase, Joseph Obie,
Ifeoluwa Albert, Adams Amzat Akokhia, Isaac Ndidi Chima, Rafiu Momodu, Rasaq Mahmud,
Godwin George, and Thomas Daniel were arraigned before Justice Lambo Akanbi on
a 2-count charge of conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum products.
The accused persons were intercepted aboard
MB SKYE by men of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield on November
14, 2014 in Brass waters, close to Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC), Bayelsa State while transferring suspected crude
oil from two vessels, MT CERGEN-D and MT ELIMINA, which were under
investigation for alleged oil theft.
The accused persons pleaded not
guilty to the charges.
One of the counts read; “that you
Clement Oguntuwase , Joseph Obie , Ifeoluwa Albert, Adams Amzat Akokhia, Isaac
Ndidi Chima, Rafiu Momodu, Rasaq Mahmud, Godwin George, Thomas Daniel and
a vessel, MB Skye and others now at large on or about the 13th and
14th November, 2014 at Brass within the jurisdiction of this
Honourable Court did without appropriate licence deal in Petroleum Products to
wit: about 388.53 Metric tonnes of Crude Oil siphoned from two vessels namely;
MT CERGEN-D and MT ELIMINA which you conveyed in MB SKYE and thereby committed
an offence contrary to section 1(17) (a) and (b) of the Miscellaneous Offences
Act CAP M17 of the Revised Edition (Law of the Federation) Act 2007 and
punishable under the same Act”.
In view of their plea, the
prosecuting counsel A.I Arogha asked for a date for the commencement of trial.
But the defence counsel, A.A Adetunji orally presented a bail application and
urged the court to grant the accused persons bail.
Justice Akanbi granted the
accused persons bail in the sum of five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500, 000.00) each
and a surety in like sum, who must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.
The matter was adjourned
till March 11, 2015 for commencement of trial.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
17th December, 2014
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