A Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced nine individuals to 10 years’ imprisonment each for stealing crude oil from an oil wellhead in Ibeno Local Government Area.
Justice Joy Ikpeme delivered the judgment on Monday, September 14, 2026, after finding the convicts guilty of conspiracy and tampering with an oil pipeline. The court sentenced each of the nine convicts to five years for conspiracy and 10 years for pipeline tampering under Section 1(7) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
Justice Ikpeme ordered that the sentences run concurrently, meaning the convicts will serve a maximum of 10 years in prison. The court also ruled that the sentence would be served without an option of a fine.
Apparently, the convicts were arrested at the ASABO-D oil wellhead in Ibeno during a joint intelligence-led operation by security agencies.
They were apprehended while allegedly siphoning crude oil from the facility and were subsequently handed over to the relevant authorities by the Nigerian Navy and the Department of State Services (DSS). The prosecution established that the individuals were involved in activities linked to illegal crude oil extraction, leading to their conviction on the charges brought against them.
Meanwhile, the nine were reportedly among 19 suspects arrested earlier in the year as security agencies intensified operations against illegal oil bunkering and crude oil theft in the region.
The latest convictions, however, come amid continued efforts by Nigerian authorities to curb oil theft, pipeline vandalism and other forms of illegal activity in the petroleum sector.
Authorities have repeatedly warned that such activities threaten oil production, damage critical infrastructure and deprive the country of revenue.
By Musekir Faisat Omolara
