The Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced nine persons to 10 years’ imprisonment each for stealing crude oil from an oil wellhead in Ibeno Local Government Area of the state.
Justice Joy Ikpeme, who presided over the case on Monday, convicted the defendants on two counts bordering on conspiracy and tampering with an oil pipeline, contrary to Section 1(7) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
The judge sentenced each of the defendants to five years’ imprisonment on count one, without an option of fine.
They were also sentenced to 10 years on count two, equally without an option of fine.
The sentences are to run concurrently, meaning each of the convicts will spend 10 years in prison.
The nine convicts were among 19 suspects arrested by the Department of State Services following an intelligence-led operation conducted by the Nigerian Navy and the secret police.
They were arrested while allegedly stealing crude oil from an oil wellhead identified as ASABO-D in Ibeno LGA of Akwa Ibom State.
The development came amid renewed efforts by security agencies to clamp down on crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering across the country.
Crude oil theft remains a major challenge to Nigeria’s oil production and government revenue, with the country losing billions of dollars to the illicit activity.
In October 2025, the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative said Nigeria lost 13.5 million barrels of crude oil valued at $3.3bn to theft and sabotage in 2022.
Similarly, in April 2026, troops of the Nigerian Army foiled what was described as a “large-scale” illegal oil bunkering operation along the Lekki-Ibeju coastal axis of Lagos State.
Fifteen suspects were arrested during the operation, while troops recovered several vehicles, marine equipment and pumping devices allegedly used for illegal petroleum siphoning.
The latest convictions underscore the increasing legal consequences facing persons involved in crude oil theft and pipeline-related offences in the country.
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