EFCC secures conviction of 10 over illegal petroleum dealings in Delta

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction of 10 persons for illegal dealings in petroleum products in Delta State, with the court offering them fines ranging from N300,000 to N400,000.

Justice H.A. Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court in Warri convicted the defendants on Friday after they pleaded guilty to charges of criminal conspiracy and illegal dealings in petroleum products.

The convicts are James Terry, Gift Godfrey, Obidi Obi, Anthony Edekobi, Victor Sule, Jubril Abubakar, Auwal Aliyu, Nnaemeka Nwobodo, Victor Edem and Sunday Eyere.

The EFCC’s Benin Zonal Directorate prosecuted the defendants on a one-count charge.

According to the charge against Victor Udo, one of the defendants, he dealt in automotive gas oil (diesel) that was allegedly not of the expected quality.

The offence was said to have occurred on 8 August 2026 in Koko, Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State.

The prosecution said the conduct contravened Section 1(18)(a)(ii) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Following their guilty pleas, the prosecution counsel, Francis Jirbo, asked the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly.

Justice Nganjiwa sentenced Mr Terry and Mr Godfrey to two years’ imprisonment each, with an option of a N300,000 fine.

Mr Obi, Mr Sule, Mr Abubakar, Mr Aliyu, Mr Nwobodo and Mr Edem each received three years’ imprisonment, with an option of a N300,000 fine.

Mr Eyere was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, with an option of a N400,000 fine, while Mr Edekobi received three years’ imprisonment, with an option of a N350,000 fine.

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How arrests were made

The EFCC said the arrests followed intelligence received from the Office of the National Security Adviser about the defendants’ suspicious activities in Koko.

The commission said the intelligence led to their arrest and subsequent prosecution.

The convictions follow enforcement efforts against illegal activities in Nigeria’s petroleum sector, where the illegal trade and distribution of petroleum products remain a concern for regulatory and law enforcement authorities.

The EFCC did not disclose the quantity of petroleum products involved in the case or whether the defendants had paid the fines in lieu of their prison sentences.