Court jails oil thief three years in Port Harcourt

A Federal High sitting in Port Harcourt has convicted and sentenced one Job Wilfred to three years imprisonment.

Wilfred was sentenced on Thursday on one count bordering on illegal dealing in petroleum products – a charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He was arraigned by the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the anti-graft agency following his arrest in 2019 by personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder at Onne in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

The accused was apprehended on board a chartered service vessel marked MV Western Orient, carrying 64 metric tons of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) without an appropriate licence.

The charge read, “That you Job Wilifred on or about the 9th of August, 2019 at Onne, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without appropriate licence or authority dealt in petroleum product, to wit: 64 metric tons of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) conveyed in a Vessel, MV Western Orient and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) and punishable under Section (1) (17) (a) of Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17 of the Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation) 2007”.

When the charge was read to him, the defendant pleaded guilty to the charge and in view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, N. Dodo, urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.

In his ruling, Justice Isaq Sani convicted and sentenced the defendant to three years imprisonment, with an option of a fine of N500,000.

He, however, ordered that the vessel arrested along with the convict be released to the owner.