Court Jails 10 for Illegal Dealing in Petroleum Products in Warri

The Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, has convicted and sentenced ten persons for illegal dealing in petroleum products following their arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice H.A. Nganjiwa delivered the judgment on Friday, November 6, 2026, after all ten defendants pleaded guilty to the charges brought against them by the EFCC’s Benin Zonal Directorate.

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

They were arraigned on a one-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum products.

One of the charges, involving Victor Edem Udo, stated that he allegedly dealt in Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel, which was not of the quality expected of the product.

The offence was said to have been committed on or about August 8, 2026, at 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 the defendants’ guilty pleas, prosecution counsel, Francis Jirbo, urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

In his judgment, Justice Nganjiwa sentenced James Terry and Gift Ezewu Godfrey to two years’ imprisonment each, with an option of a N300,000 fine each.

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 Ndem Eyere received a three-year prison sentence with an option of a N400,000 fine, while Anthony Onyebuchi Edekobi was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment with an option of a N350,000 fine.

The EFCC said the defendants’ arrest followed intelligence received from the Office of the National Security Adviser concerning their suspicious activities in Koko, Delta State.

They were subsequently arrested, investigated and prosecuted by the commission, leading to their conviction after pleading guilty to the charges.