Five oil thieves are jailed in Port Harcourt by a court.
In Rivers state, five oil thieves—Kpee Sunday, Siitu Imabel, Confidence Kpanabe, and Gloria Horsfall—were found guilty and given a range of prison sentences.
On October 26 and 27, 2022, Justices P. M. Ayua and E. A. Obile of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt handed down their sentences.
The EFCC’s Port Harcourt Zonal Command prosecuted the defendants on separate counts of tampering with an oil pipeline and illegally dealing in petroleum products without the necessary licenses in violation of section 1 (17) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offenses Act, Cap. M17, Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria), 2007.
Gloria Horsfall is accused of violating section 1 (17) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offenses Act, Cap. M17, Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria), on or about the 29th day of November 2021 at No. 228A, Bodo Road, new GRA Phase 1, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court by dealing in automotive gas oil (AGO) without a license.
According to the charge against Didia, “You Achieva Didia on or about the 13th day of August, 2022 around Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State attempted to tamper or interfere with the free flow of Crude oil through pipelines around Ndoni Local Government Area and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 19 (19) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offenses Act Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Revised Edition) 2004, and punishable under
To their separate accusations, they entered guilty pleas.
E. K. Ebipade, K. W. Chukwuma-Eneh, and M. T. Iko, attorneys for the prosecution, asked the court to find the defendants guilty and sentence them accordingly based on their pleas.
Horsfall was found guilty by Justice Ayua and given a sentence of one year in a prison with the option of a fine of 500 000 Naira (N).
Didia was given a four-month community service requirement by Justice Obile in the offices of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Port Harcourt Zonal Command.
The court further ordered that the Federal Republic of Nigeria lose the Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) on board fifteen (15) Geepee storage tanks, one speed boat with a 75 horsepower motor, one wooden boat carrying petroleum products, one pumping equipment, and one generator.
