EFCC Arraings Five For Illegal Crude Oil Deal
By Felix Kuyinu
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), is prosecuting five defendants for allegely trading in business deal of crude oil unlawfully.
The accused: Mt Vinnalaris, Azeez Abubakar, Wisdom Borborley, Samuel Akpan abd Freedom Otuagoma were arrainged before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke at the Federal High Court, Lagos on Monday on two count charge bordering on unlawful deal in petroleum products.
In the charge, the defendants were said to have unlawfully transacted in a deal amounting to 515.8 liters of crude oil sometime in 2023, while on the Nigerian maritime domain.
The offence contravenes the provisions of Section 1(17) and 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17 Law of the Federation 2004.
They pleaded guilty.
Following their plea, the prosecution informed the court that a plea bargain agreement was presented at the court which was followed by an adjournment of the case till April 25.
Justice Aneke ordered that the defendants remain in custody of the prosecution till then.
Elsewhere, a 35-year-old man, Isikalu Oluwaseun, appeared at the Ikorodu Magistrates’ Court for an alleged theft of N2,100,000.
Oluwaseun is facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, felony to wit stealing and obtaining by false pretense, to which he pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Insp Adegeshin Famuyiwa, informed the court that the defendant committed the offenses on March 10, at Grammar school area of Ikorodu.
Famuyiwa said that the defendant obtained the sum of money in pretense to get a two-bedroom apartment for one Gift Enuekaonye, who logged a complain to the police.
The prosecutor told the court that the defendant’s failure to get the complainant an apartment and also not refunding the money paid by the house seeker is an act likely to cause of breach of public peace.
He said the offenses contravened Sections 411, 314 and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Magistrate Adedeji Ogbe granted the defendant bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Ogbe adjourned the case until May 16.
