Oil Bunkering: EFCC Arraigns 14 Foreigners

Fourteen nationals of Russia, Ukraine, Japan and the United Kingdom, have been arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over their alleged involvement in oil bunkering in Nigeria

According to the charge, the foreigners were said to have dealt in petroleum products without lawful authority or appropriate licence contrary to Section 19(6) of the Miscellaneous Offence Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federal of Nigeria, 2004, and punishable under Section 1(17) of the same Act.

Counsel to the EFCC told the court that the accused illegally dealt in 1,738.087 metric tons of petroleum product; 1,500 metric tons of automotive gas oil aboard MT Anukret Emerald’s cargo tank and 3,035 metric tons of low pour fuel oil, LPFO, aboard the same cargo on March 27.

The matter which is before Justice Ibrahim Buba granted the prayer of the defence counsel to accept a bank guarantee of N750, 000,000 as bail bond for the accused persons but ordered the accused persons to be remanded in prison custody pending the perfection of their bail terms.
The case has been adjourned the case to June 17, 18 and 19 for trial.