Suspects Including A Woman Arraigned In Court For Illegal Oil Bunkering. Photos
The EFCC on Tuesday November 7, 2017 arraigned twenty nine persons on
one count count charge before Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari of Federal
High Court, Ikoyi in an alleged case which borders on conspiracy and
illegal dealings in petroleum products. The Nigerian Navy in Apapa,
Lagos, handed over the suspects to the EFCC. They include six Benin
Republic nationals namely: Houffo Ojidenu, Hounssa BegaKola, Paul
Atungbe, Hunssa Achilit, Honfo Emil and Honfo Djoelit.
They are among the first set of suspects arraigned. They were
arrested on 7th September, 2017, by the Nigerian Navy Ship Beecroft
patrol team.
While the team was on routine patrol, they intercepted a wooden boat
laden with 140 empty drums with six (6) crew members on board along
Lagos Anchorage Area alongside MT Matrix 1, which was already arrested
by the Nigerian Navy.
The Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Navy Ship Beecroft
subsequently transferred the wooden boat and six crew members to the
EFCC for further investigation and prosecution.
When the charge was read to the defendants, they all pleaded not guilty.
In view of the plea, the prosecution counsel, Zainab Abubakar asked
the court for a trial date and prayed the court to remand the defendants
in prison custody. Counsel to the defendants, Abdulmalik Ibrahim while
moving for the defendants’ bail, opposed the trial date but prayed the
court for a short date in future for trial to begin.
Prosecution counsel Abubakar responded in regard of the bail
application that the EFCC has not been served with any application from
the defence counsel.
Justice Hadiza Shagari, however adjourned the matter to November 15,
2017 for trial and remanded the defendants to Ikoyi prison custody.
In similar vein, 21 suspects including a Nigerian woman were
arraigned in the same court before Justice Shagari on one count charge
of conspiracy and illegal dealing in Petroleum Products.
The suspects were arrested by the Nigerian Navy on September 27, 2017
during a routine patrol around the Lagos Safe Anchorage on the High Sea
with three wooden boats laden with 540 empty drums suspected to be used
for illegal activities.
In view of the pleas of the accused persons, the prosecution counsel,
Zainab Ettu asked for a trial date and prayed the Court to remand the
accused persons to prison custody while the counsel to the accused
persons, Abdulmalik Ibrahim filed an application for the bail of the
accused persons which was rejected by the Court.
Justice Shagari, after hearing from both counsels, ordered the
accused persons to be remanded in prison custody while the matter was
adjourned to 15th of November 2017 for the hearing of the bail
application.
Justice Shagari also ordered Friday Ogboji and Oluwashina Ogugbure to
be remanded in prison custody till 16th November 2017 for hearing of
their bail applications. They were also arrested in a seperate patrol by
the Nigerian Navy ship Beecroft, Apapa on September 27, 2017 on board a
fiber boat laden with petroleum products.
The accused persons were arraigned in the same court on one count
charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and illegal oil bunkering but
pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them.
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