EFCC intensifies ‘war’ on oil thieves, secures jail terms
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has strengthened its capacity to dislodge criminals, who specialize in stealing the oil wealth of the country even as the commission has secured numerous jail terms against the oil thieves many of who are foreigners.
The war against this illicit trade has been precipitated over the years but between 2019 and 2020, the commission has heightened the fight against the criminals vowing to stop them for the obvious sabotage to the Nigerian economy especially at this critical time of the nation’s history.
The EFCC on Monday, November 23 2020 secured the conviction and sentencing of six foreigners seven years in jail for oil theft in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
According to a statement issued by the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, Justice J.K Omotosho of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State convicted and sentenced the six foreigners and a Nigerian after three years of diligent prosecution by the Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the EFCC.
The foreigners are two Pakistanis: Mohammed Ejaz, Nasser Khan; two Ukranians: Oleksandr Nazarenko, Oleksandr Kashernvi; one Ghanaian: Romeo Annang, and one Indonesian: Fredrik Fatin Omenu. Their Nigerian counterpart: David Otuohi bagged same jail term with them.
“The convicts were arraigned on Tuesday, 21 November, 2017, alongside three other foreigners and another Nigerian for oil theft. The other three foreigners Victor Mikpayi (Beninois ), Francis Ahorlu and Kwesi Attah( Ghanaians), and Victor Azebiri( Nigerian) were discharged and acquitted by the court.
“They were all docked alongside a company: Asztral Shipping Corporation SA, and a Vessel, MT. TECNE( a.k.a MT STAR), on four count charges bordering on conspiracy, dealing in petroleum products without a licence and tampering with oil pipelines,” the statement said.
Count one of the charge read: “that you Victor Azebiri, David Otuhohi, Mohammed Ejaz, Naseer Khan, Oleksandr Nazarenko, Oleksandr Kashernvi, Romeo Annang, Francis
Ahorlu, Kwesi Attah, Victor Mikpayi, Frederik Fatin Omenu, Astral Shipping Corporation SA, MT TECNE a.k.a MT STAR (Vessel), Peter Ala (at large), David Ogoma, a.k.a Ambassador (at large) and others now at large, on or about the 20th and/or 25th day of April, 2017 at Escravos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit: distribute, deal in, or with petroleum product without appropriate licence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act CAP M17 of the Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) 2007 and Punishable under Section 1(17) of the same Act”.