The Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, has convicted and sentenced 10 individuals to various jail terms for illegal dealing in petroleum products.
Justice H.A. Nganjiwa handed down the sentences on Friday, November 6, 2026, after the defendants pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of criminal conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum products brought against them 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.
Following their guilty pleas, prosecution counsel, Francis Jirbo, urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly.
In his judgment, Justice Nganjiwa sentenced James Terry and Gift Ezewu Godfrey to two years’ imprisonment each, with an option of a ₦300,000 fine.
Obi, Sule, Abubakar, Aliyu, Nwobodo, and Edem were each sentenced to three years’ imprisonment or a fine of ₦300,000.
Similarly, Eyere was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment with an option of a ₦400,000 fine, while Edekobi received three years’ imprisonment or a fine of ₦350,000.
One of the charges against the convicts involved Victor Edem, who was accused of dealing in Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) that was not of the quality expected of the product at Koko, Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, on August 8, 2026.
The Commission stated that the offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 1(18)(a)(ii) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Revised Edition) 2004.
It disclosed that the convicts’ arrest followed intelligence received from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) concerning their suspicious activities in Koko, Delta State.
Consequently, they were prosecuted by EFCC and convicted by the court.
