Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Monday, July 18, 2022, convicted and sentenced a truck driver, Ime Asuquo Akpan to three months imprisonment for dealing in petroleum products without an appropriate license.

Akpan had on May 21, 2022 pleaded 'guilty' to a one count charge preferred against him by the Uyo Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, and was remanded at the Correctional Centre, Uyo, as the court reserved judgment for July 18, 2022.

The charge reads: “That you Ime Asuquo Akpan ‘M’ on or about the 27th of February 2022, enroute Calabar –Itu in Akwa Ibom State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court had in your possession without lawful authority or appropriate license to deal in about 5,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) which products you concealed in sack bags and conveyed in a truck with registration number DRK 700 XA and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 4 (1) of the Petroleum Act CAP P10, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under Section 4 (6) of the same Act”.

At the resumed session of the court on Monday, July 18, 2022, EFCC’s counsel, S. S. Aribido, called a witness, Inainfe Young, an operative of the EFCC who reviewed the facts of the case and tendered relevant documents which were all admitted in evidence and marked as exhibits. Aribido subsequently prayed the court to convict and sentence Akpan accordingly, based on his earlier guilty plea.

Justice Okeke convicted and sentenced Akpan to three months imprisonment and ordered that the truck arrested with him be forfeited to the Federal Government while the EFCC destroys the illegal content of the truck.

Akpan’s started his journey to the Correctional Centre following his arrest by officers of the 2Brigade, Nigerian Army, Uyo on February 27, 2022 based on verified intelligence that he was conveying about 5,000 litres of illegally refined AGO and DPK, concealed in reinforced sack bags. The convict and the truck with registration number, DRK 700 XA were subsequently handed over to the Uyo Zonal command of the Commission.

Media & Publicity

19 July, 2022