12 suspected oil thieves aboard a Cameroon-bound vessel arraigned by Federal Government.

The Federal Government has arraigned 12 individuals suspected of oil theft in connection with the interception of a Cameroon-bound vessel, MT TURA II, carrying 150 metric tonnes of stolen crude oil. The vessel was seized on July 7 in the Escravos Sea, Delta State, with 11 Nigerians and one Ghanaian on board. On July 11, the military set the vessel ablaze near Bennett Island in the Warri Southwest Local Government Area.

The suspects were presented before the Federal High Court in Asaba, where they pleaded not guilty to the two counts in the charge sheet. The prosecution counsel for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps requested that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service until a trial date is set. However, the defense counsel made an oral bail application saying he was informed about the arraignment late.

“We just came in and we were informed that the matter is coming up for trial,” he said.

The application was declined by Justice F.A. Olubanjo, who instructed the defendants to be remanded at the Nigeria Correctional Service in Ogwashi-Uku.

“Please file a formal application for bail. I read the file and I do not think an oral application will suffice even if the prosecution is not opposing.

“Defendants shall be remanded at the Nigeria correctional service, Ogwashi-Uku. In the event that the defendants file bail applications, it is unlikely that this court will be able to attend to them as vacation commences on July 24, 2023.

“The DCR is, therefore, directed to forward the case file to the vacation court at Port Harcourt if bail applications are filed during the court’s long vacation,” the judge ruled.

The case has been adjourned till October 26 for trial. Meanwhile, an anti-corruption advocacy group, Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), has emphasized that blocking leakages in oil revenues could save the Federal Government over $200 billion annually. HEDA made this submission during an international conference on anti-corruption in Abuja, highlighting the importance of stringent anti-corruption measures in the oil and gas sector to help Nigeria recover from its economic challenges. The group emphasized that recovering stolen funds and eliminating graft in the oil sector would lead to increased revenue and better address the needs of Nigerians.

“Funds recovered through stringent anti-corruption measures in the oil and gas sector will help Nigeria regain her floundering economic fortunes,” the group said at the conference with the theme, “Nigeria and the Fight Against Corruption: Reviewing the Buhari Regime and Setting Agenda for the Tinubu Administration.”

“Nigeria is at a critical moment. People are passing through very difficult times. With a debt profile of N77tn, and an extremely poor debt service ratio, the country is in a quagmire. The surest way to recovery is to decisively fight corruption.

“Recovery of stolen funds and an end to graft in the oil sector will see Nigeria witness an upsurge in revenue to meet the needs of Nigerians who are at the end of the stick,” HEDA said in one of its recommendations to the new government.