Five individuals have been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for their involvement in an illicit trade concerning petroleum products.
The accused—comprising the vessel Mt Vinnalaris, along with individuals Azeez Abubakar, Wisdom Borborley, Samuel Akpan, and Freedom Otuagoma—stood before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke facing charges related to unauthorized transactions in petroleum commodities, as outlined in two counts.
All defendants pleaded guilty to the charges brought against them.
Subsequently, the prosecution, represented by R.A. Abdurasheed, informed the court of the existence of a plea bargain agreement, which had been duly submitted.
As a result, the proceedings were adjourned until April 25 for the formal adoption of the plea bargain agreement. Until that date, the court directed that the defendants remain under the custody of the prosecution.
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According to the charge, the defendants purportedly committed the offense within the Nigerian maritime domain in 2023. Specifically, they were accused of engaging in the trade of 515.8 liters of crude oil without the necessary legal authorization.
This action is said to contravene sections 1(17) and 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offenses Act, Cap M17 Law of the Federation 2004.
