Crime

Man bags 10 years imprisonment for oil theft

A Federal High Court in Lagos today sent an oil thief, Abednego Ogede to 10 years imprisonment for theft and unlawful dealing in oil.

Ogede was found guilty and convicted in absentia by Justice Rilwan Aikawa of a Federal High Court, Lagos, on December 18, 2019.

The court had on December 18, 2019 pronounced the convict alongside a vessel, MV Shirley and a company, Sagwe International Limited, guilty of all four counts charge of conspiracy, illegal and unlawful dealing in 145, 000 metric tonnes of Automated Gasoline Oil (AGO) brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, had ealier urged the court for forfeiture of  the vessel and the company charged with the convict to the federal government of Nigeria. He has also pray the court to empower all security agencies to arrest the convict and bring him to court for the purposes of sentencing him, a plea the court had granted.

Oyedepo informed the court today that the convict has been arrested and urged the court to sentenced him as prescribed by Section 1(17) of the Miscellaneous Act, 2017.

“The court had on December 18, 2019, convicted the fleeing convict and directed various security agencies to see to his arrest. He has been arrested after he was smoked out of his hidden by the police. We urge the court to sentence him according to section 1(17) of the Miscellaneous Act”, Oyedepo stated.

Responding to the prosecutor’s request, the convict’s counsel, Mr. A. Joseph, pleaded with the court to consider Section 312 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015), in sentencing his client. While pleaded that the court not to take the disappearance of the convict into consideration during the judgment of the charge, which he described as product of fear.

Justice Aikawa, after listened to both the prosecutor and convict’s counsel held: “I’ve listened to the plea of the convict’s counsel and also to the submission of the prosecutor. It is a serious offence for someone dealing in petroleum products unlawfully. Consequently, the convict is hereby sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in count one, two, three and four. The jail terms shall run concurrently and effective from today”.

EFCC had arraigned the vessel, MV Shirley, the Company, Sagwe International Limited and the convict, Abednego Ogede, before the court sometimes in 2017, on a four count-charge of conspiracy and unlawful and illegal dealing in 450, 000 metric tonnes of petroleum product.

The EFCC through its prosecutor, Rotimi  Oyedepo, had told the court that the trio had committed the offences on April 19, 2017, in Lagos.

Oyedepo had told the court that the committed by the convict contravened Sections 19(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under Section 17 of the same Act.

He had also told the court that the offences contravened Section 4 of the Petroleum Act, Cap P10, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

The defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges, and they were granted bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum.

editor

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