After about 31 months trial, 12 men were on Monday sentenced to a total of 60 years for unlawfully dealing in 600,000 metric tonnes of Automated Gasoline Oil also known as diesel.
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos which handed down the verdict, said each of them will spend five years behind the bars.
The convicts are: Christopher Okorie, John Mbah, Tammy Bami, Osi Prince, Chukwuji Festus, Kabiru Adeyemo, Ayannubi Moses, Sopuruchukwu Chukwudi, Obinna Ebu, Abdullahi Oyelade, Charles Ubey and Achia Vincent.
They were charged alongside two limited liability companies — Phonic Marines Services Ltd and Banquet Chambers Nigeria Ltd — as well as vessel — MV PSV Deby.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had sometime in Oct. 2015, arraigned them on charges bordering on conspiracy and unlawful dealing in petroleum product without appropriate licence.
During the trial of the convicts, the EFCC lawyer, Mr Ekene Iheanacho, had called six witnesses and tendered several exhibits which included a sample of the stolen petroleum product.
Justice Mohammed Idris ruled that the prosecution had proved its case against the accused beyond reasonable doubts.
He said the defence put up by the convicts failed to puncture the evidence of the prosecution.
The court also stated that all the convicts who had claimed ignorance to the vessel’s operation without appropriate licence and the stolen petroleum product, could not claim to be onlookers, but main party to the crime.
The judge said they had all participated in loading the product into the vessel from Port Harcourt and followed the vessel to Lagos, where it was to be discharged before they were all arrested.
Consequently, Justice Idris found all the accused guilty on each of the counts as charged.
He further ordered that the vessel used in carrying the product — MV PSV Deby and the petroleum product be forfeited to the Federal Government.
Prior to the sentence, various counsel representing each of the convicts urged the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing them.
They pleaded that each of the convicts were first-time offenders, who were also various breadwinners of their families.
Following the pleas for mercy made by the counsel, the court sentenced the 12 men to five years imprisonment on each counts which would run concurrently.
Justice Idris further sentenced Christopher Okorie and John Mbah on counts three and four and ordered that all the jail terms should run concurrently.
The offences contravened Sections 1(17) and 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Laws of the Federation 2014.
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