Find the EFCC Press statement below
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
youClement Oguntuwase , Joseph Obie , Ifeoluwa
Albert, Adams Amzat Akokhia, IsaacNdidi Chima,
Rafiu Momodu, Rasaq Mahmud, Godwin George,
Thomas Daniel anda 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.
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