The federal high court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, has convicted and sentenced nine persons to 10-year jail term each for stealing crude oil from an oil head in the state.
Joy Ikpeme, the presiding judge, on Monday, found the defendants guilty on two count-charge of conspiracy and tampering with oil pipeline, contrary to section 1(7) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
The judge sentenced them to five years’ imprisonment on count one, with no option of fine, and 10 years on count two, also with no option of fine.
The sentences are to run concurrently, meaning the defendants will each spend 10 years in prison.
The defendants were among the 19 persons arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) following an intelligence-led operation by the Nigerian Navy and the secret police.
They were caught stealing crude oil from an oil wellhead identified as ASABO-D in Ibeno LGA of Akwa Ibom state.
Crude oil theft is one of the major factors affecting a country’s oil production, with Nigeria losing billions of dollars in revenue.
In October 2025, the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) said Nigeria lost 13.5 million barrels of crude oil valued at $3.3 billion to theft and sabotage in 2022.
In April 2026, troops of the Nigerian Army foiled a “large-scale” illegal oil bunkering operation along the Lekki–Ibeju coastal axis of Lagos state.
Fifteen suspects were arrested, while troops recovered multiple vehicles, marine equipment and pumping devices allegedly used for illegal petroleum siphoning.
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