10 People Convicted for Illegal Oil Business in Delta
Ten people were convicted for illegal oil dealings in Delta State. They were fined or sentenced to prison by the Federal High Court in Warri.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has convicted 10 people for illegal oil business in Delta State. The court fined them between N300,000 and N400,000.
Justice H.A. Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court in Warri sentenced the defendants on Friday after they admitted to charges of criminal conspiracy and illegal oil dealings.
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 single charge.
According to the charge against Victor Udo, one of the convicts, he was involved in the sale of automotive gas oil (diesel) that did not meet quality standards. This happened on 8 August 2026 in Koko, Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State.
The prosecution said this action violated Section 1(18)(a)(ii) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
After the guilty pleas, the prosecution lawyer, Francis Jirbo, asked the court to convict and sentence the defendants as appropriate. Justice Nganjiwa sentenced Mr. Terry and Mr. Godfrey to two years in prison each, or they could pay a N300,000 fine.
Mr. Obi, Mr. Sule, Mr. Abubakar, Mr. Aliyu, Mr. Nwobodo, and Mr. Edem were each given three years in prison, with a choice of a N300,000 fine. Mr. Eyere received three years in prison, with a N400,000 fine option, while Mr. Edekobi also got three years, with a N350,000 fine option.
The EFCC explained that the arrests happened after they got information from the Office of the National Security Adviser about the suspects' suspicious activities in Koko. This information led to their arrest and later prosecution.
These convictions are part of the EFCC's efforts to combat illegal activities in Nigeria's oil sector. The illegal trade and distribution of petroleum products is still a major issue for regulators and law enforcement.
The EFCC did not say how much oil was involved in this case or if the convicts paid their fines instead of going to jail.
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