Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Calabar, on Monday January 13, 2025 convicted and sentenced Olufunsho Dayo Chevy, Uwem Udo Nya to various jail terms for oil theft alongside a vessel, MT New Angel and a company, Edi Eurolink Distribution.
They were prosecuted by the Uyo Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a one-count charge that verged on stealing and unlicensed dealing in petroleum products.
The charges read “That you, MT New Angel, Edi Eurolink Distribution, Olufunsho Dayo Chevy, Uwem Udoh Nya, Olusaneku Patrick Victor (at large), Ezie Kenneth Othuke (at large), Imo Tammy Wisdom (at large), Ege Isaiah (at large), Obanla Sunday John (at large), Asuquo Okon Iwait (at large), Yoosu Alex Aonodue (at large), Nwaigwe Kingdom (at large), Ezechukwu Stanley Nnamdi (at large), sometime in June 2024, at Calabar within the jurisdiction of this honourable court without an appropriate license issued by Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency, did deal in petroleum product (crude oil) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 13(2)(b)(i) of the Petroleum Act CAP Pi0, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and punishable under the same Section.”
The convicts pleaded guilty to the charge when it was read to them, upon which prosecution counsel, Joshua Abolarin reviewed the facts of the case, advanced evidence and urged the court to convict and sentence them as charged, while defence counsel, Chris Okeadaka and Cyprian Afahanam prayed the court to temper justice with mercy arguing that their clients were first-time offenders.
Justice Ojukwu sentenced them to a fine of N20million (Twenty Million Naira), translating to N5million (Five Million Naira) each, to be paid into the federal government’s account.
The convicts bagged their imprisonment when they were arrested by the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS, Victory and handed over to the EFCC on July 30, 2024.
