Court jails vessel captain over oil theft

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction of a vessel captain, Omosehin Ipinle, for unlawful possession of 120 metric tonnes of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).

The EFCC secured the conviction of the vessel captain before Justice I. Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State.

Ipinle was arraigned alongside one Nsikak Friday for offences bordering on conspiracy, unlawful dealing and unlawful storage of 120 metric tonnes of AGO, an offence contrary to Section 3(6); 1(17) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M 17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under Section 1(17) of the same Act as well as Section 4 of the Petroleum Act Cap P10, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the offence and were admitted to bail.

However, while the trial was going on, Friday, jumped bail.

At the resumed proceedings on Thursday, April 7, 2022, Omosehin, who had entered a plea bargain with the prosecution on March 9, 2021, changed his plea to “guilty”, when the amended charge was read to him.

Following his guilty plea, the prosecution counsel, A.O Mohammed, reviewed the facts before the court and prayed the court to convict him as charged.

The presiding judge, Justice Oweibo, however, found Omosehin guilty of the offence and sentenced him to one year imprisonment.

The vessel, MV Dove, alongside its content (120 metric Tonnes of AGO) was also ordered to be forfeited to the Federal Government.