Nine oil thieves and their vessel caught with N200million worth of stolen crude oil in 2015 are going to walk free after paying N2,000 fine each.
She amended the case trading the original charges that carried life jail with the one punishable merely by the inconsequential N2,000 fine. The nine remaining persons prosecuted to the end by the Attorney-General of the Federation’s office are: Adeola Goodness Olanimiji, Olaoluwa Temitope, Kelvin Onyeka, Dare Lukman, Ibrahim Sese, Amaechi Nkwocha, Anayo Chukwu Ejiogu, Emmanuel Ekuma, and Lucky Urhie.The oil thieves were aboard the vessel loaded with 4,000 metric tons of crude oil, when they were arrested by navy operatives, who were on patrol in the Nigerian Navy Ship Delta.
In the third count, they were accused of stealing 4,000 metric tons of crude oil valued at N200milllion, property of the federal government of Nigeria, punishable under section 390 of the Criminal Code Act Cap C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, an offence punishable by three years imprisonment.Over five years after the charges were filed, the prosecution team led by Ms Ohakwe amended the charges preparatory to a plea bargain last year.
“A period of about four years after, the prosecution then filed further amended charge that did not only reduce the counts from three to one, but now charged the defendants under a written law where the defendants are found guilty, they will pay fine of N2,000 each, not life imprisonment or life jail, that the earlier counts in Miscellaneous Offences Act would attract.
Pointing out the plot orchestrated to create a soft-landing for the defendants, Mr Abang said, “the original charge was amended on October 27, 2021, to pave the way for the instant plea bargain agreement,” which he described as “sordid, and morbid, very unpleasant and dirty.”
Not to Justice Abang who regretted that the constraints of the deal prevented him “from imposing heavy punishments he would have wished to mete out to the defendants, to emphasise the seriousness of the economic adversity oil theft causes Nigeria.”
Questions raised by this deal should go to AGF Malami & FedMinOfJustice whose Onyeka Ohakwe-led prosecution “somersaulted when it amended the charges to replace life jail and forfeiture of seized product in the former charges with N2,000 fine as punishment in the new charge.”
I wonder if Officia_BayLord and mercybola55 read the report before accusing the judge of “cashing out” and being “part of the syndicate”. Justice Okon Abang was clearly disgusted by the plea bargain deal and described it as “sordid, and morbid, very unpleasant and dirty.”
God have mercy 🥺
Daylight robbery. Definitely the Judge is a part of the syndicate.
The oil is worth 200m but was sold for 17m after it was recovered from the oil theives. I don't know who is the bigger theif those who stole 4000 metric tons of oil or those who sold it for 17m when it's valued at 200m
The judge have cash out and nothing else
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