Nine men arrested for stealing crude oil in Akwa Ibom territorial waters have been sentenced to ten years imprisonment each by a Federal High Court sitting in Uyo.
The convicts were prosecuted by the Department of State Services, DSS, Akwa Ibom State Command.
The nine men were arrested by the Nigerian Navy on February 7, 2025, during an intelligence-led operation while allegedly siphoning crude oil from the ASABO-D oil wellhead in Ibeno Local Government Area.
They were subsequently prosecuted by the DSS.
Delivering judgement, Justice Joy Ikpeme held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced each convict to ten years imprisonment without an option of fine.
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The latest convictions form part of intensified multi-agency efforts to curb oil theft in the Niger Delta.
The DSS says 21 other suspected oil thieves are currently undergoing various stages of prosecution in Akwa Ibom State.
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(Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu)
