FEATURED
Court Jails 10 Men for Selling Substandard Diesel in Delta
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction of 10 men for illegal dealings in petroleum products in Warri, Delta State.
The convicts were sentenced by Justice H. A. Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court, Warri, after pleading guilty to a one-count charge of criminal conspiracy and illegal dealings in petroleum products.
The EFCC disclosed this in a statement posted on its official X account on Friday.
The convicts were identified as James Terry, Gift Godfrey, Obidi Obi, Anthony Edekobi, Victor Sule, Jubril Abubakar, Auwal Aliyu, Nnaemeka Nwobodo, Victor Edem and Sunday Eyere.
The Benin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC prosecuted the defendants following their arrest over alleged involvement in the illegal trade of petroleum products.
According to the commission, one of the charges against Victor Edem Udo alleged that he dealt in Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel, which was below the required quality standard.
The offence was said to have occurred on August 8, 2026, in Koko, Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State.
The charge was brought under Section 1(18)(a)(ii) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap. M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Revised Edition), 2004.
Following their guilty pleas, prosecution counsel, Francis Jirbo, urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly.
In his ruling, Justice Nganjiwa sentenced James Terry and Gift Ezewu Godfrey to two years’ imprisonment each, with an option of a N300,000 fine.
Obidi Peter Obi, Victor Ataria Sule, Jubril Abubakar, Auwal Aliyu, Nnaemeka Nwobodo and Victor Edem were each sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, with an option of a N300,000 fine.
Similarly, Sunday Eyere received a three-year jail term with an option of a N400,000 fine, while Anthony Edekobi was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment or a N350,000 fine.
The EFCC explained that the arrests followed intelligence received from the Office of the National Security Adviser concerning the suspects’ activities in Koko, Delta State.
The commission said the suspects were subsequently arrested, prosecuted and convicted.
The development underscores the EFCC’s continued efforts to combat illegal dealings in petroleum products and other economic and financial crimes.
