A Federal High Court in Lagos has issued an order for the arrest of Abednego Ogede, relating to illegal conveyance of 145,000 litres of petroleum products.
Delivering judgement, Justice Rilwan Aikawa, ordered that a vessel, MV Shirley, used to carry out the act and the Petroleum should be forfeited to the Federal Government.
MV Shirley was convicted of four counts alongside a firm, Sagwe International Limited, and Abednego Ogede, who was said to be at large.
The court said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was able to prove the charges against the convicts beyond reasonable doubts.
Justice Aikawa awarded a fine of one hundred million naira against Sagwe International Limited and ordered the forfeiture of the ten million naira bail bond deposited by Ogede’s surety, saying the surety should be remanded in the prison custody pending the forfeiture order.
In the four counts against the convicts, the EFCC told the court that they dealt in 145,000 litres of petroleum products without lawful authority or appropriate licence.
The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, said the convicts committed the offence on or about April 19, 2017.
He said they acted contrary to Section 19(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and were liable to be punished under Section 17 of the same Act.
The prosecuted said the convicts also violated Section 4 of the Petroleum Act Cap P10 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
