Illegal oil bunkering: Kerosene dealer bags 2-year jail with option of N2000 fine

Justice Liman Abubakar of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has sentenced a Kerosene dealer, Mohammed Mustapha to two years imprisonment for engaging in illegal oil bunkering.

Delivering his judgement, Justice Abubakar sentenced Mustapha to two years imprisonment with an option of fine of Two Thousand Naira (N2, 000.00) as stipulated by section 4(6) of the Petroleum Act 2004.

Mustapha who was arraigned before the court on a one count charge bordering on illegal dealing in petroleum product (kerosene) by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions (EFCC) pleaded not guilty.

This is contained in EFCC statement issued by the Acting Head, Media & Publicity, Tony Orilade.

According to the statement, the 600 litres of kerosene illegally refined was forfeited to the Federal Government while the vehicle used to convey the product was returned to the owner, Dangote Cement Plc (Transport Division).

The one-count charge reads: “That you Mohammed Mustapha on or about the 22nd day of July, 2017 at Port Harcourt within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority and appropriate license dealt in six hundred litres (600) of petroleum product (DPK) kerosene

and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 4(1) of the petroleum Act Cap P10 of the Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) 2007 and punishable under section 4(6) of the same Act.