The Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has convicted and sentenced nine of the 19 persons arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) for crude oil theft.

Delivering judgment on Monday, the presiding judge, Justice Joy Ikpeme, found the nine defendants guilty on a two-count charge of conspiracy and tampering with an oil pipeline, contrary to Section 1(7) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.

Justice Ikpeme sentenced the convicts to five years’ imprisonment on the first count and 10 years on the second count, with no option of a fine. The sentences are to run concurrently.

The convicts were among 19 suspects arrested earlier in the year following an intelligence-led operation conducted jointly by the Nigerian Navy and the DSS.

The suspects were apprehended while allegedly stealing crude oil from an oil wellhead identified as ASABO-D in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

A security source described the conviction as another milestone in the Navy’s sustained campaign against crude oil theft and illegal bunkering activities across Nigeria’s maritime and riverine areas.

According to the source, such activities have continued to deprive the country of vital oil revenue while causing significant environmental damage to host communities.

“The conviction marks another milestone in the Navy’s sustained campaign against crude oil theft and illegal bunkering activities along Nigeria’s maritime and riverine areas, which have continued to drain the nation’s oil revenue and damage the environment in host communities,” the source said.