COURT JAILS 10 FOR ILLEGAL DEALING IN PETROLEUM PRODUCTS IN WARRI
By CS News. A Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, has convicted and sentenced 10 persons to various prison terms for illegal dealing in petroleum products. Justice H.A. Nganjiwa delivered the judgment on Friday, November 6, 2026, following the arraignment of the defendants by the Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The convicts are James Terry, Gift Ezewu Godfrey, Obidi Peter Obi, Anthony Onyebuchi Edekobi, Victor Ataria Sule, Jubril Abubakar, Auwal Aliyu, Nnaemeka Nwobodo, Victor Edem and Sunday Ndem Eyere. They were arraigned on a one-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum products. The charge against one of the defendants, Victor Edem Udo, alleged that he dealt in Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) that was not of the quality expected of the product at Koko, Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State, on August 8, 2026. All the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges, prompting the prosecution counsel, Francis Jirbo, to urge the court to convict and sentence them accordingly. In his judgment, Justice Nganjiwa sentenced James Terry and Gift Ezewu Godfrey to two years’ imprisonment each, with an option of a N300,000 fine. Obidi Peter Obi, Victor Ataria Sule, Jubril Abubakar, Auwal Aliyu, Nnaemeka Nwobodo and Victor Edem received three-year prison terms each, with an option of a N300,000 fine. Anthony Onyebuchi Edekobi was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment or a N350,000 fine, while Sunday Ndem Eyere received three years’ imprisonment or a N400,000 fine. The EFCC said the defendants’ arrest followed intelligence from the Office of the National Security Adviser concerning their suspicious activities in Koko, Delta State. They were subsequently investigated and prosecuted.
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