EFCC Arraign 11 Bunkerers

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday 3rd April, 2012 arraigned eleven persons - Mohammed Yusuf, Adamu Mansur, Sani Rabiu, Murtala Mohammed, Yahaya Usman, Idris Abubakar, Yahaya Mohammed, Ibrahim Hassan,

Hamisu Kamba, Aminu Ibrahim and Ibrahim Ahmed - before a Federal High Court sitting in Benin City , Edo State for their involvement in illegal bunkering of Petroleum Products and forgery. They were arraigned before Justice Okeke on a 4 count charge.

While taking their plea, the accused persons pleaded not guilty on all count. Counsel to EFCC Sa'ad Hanafi Sa'ad, then asked the court to remand the accused persons in prison custody and fix a date for the commencement of trial. But the defense counsel, Tayo Aluko, immediately applied for bail; a move that was immediately countered by the defense counsel as he argued that the accused person could jump bail and cause a delay in the speedy conclusion of the case.

Justice Okeke turned down the bail application and ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody, while he adjourned the case to 21st May, 2012 for commencement of trial.

The charge against the accused persons read:
Count 1:
That you Mohammed Yusuf(M), Adamu Mansur(M), Sani Rabiu(M), Murtala Mohammed(M), Yahaya Usman(M), Idris Abubakar(M), Yahaya Mohammed(M), Ibrahim Hassan(M), Hamisu Kamba(M), Aminu Ibrahim(M) and Ibrahim Ahmed(M) on or about the 31st day of January, 2012 along Benin-Sapele bypass within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court did conspire within yourselves to commit felony to wit: illegal dealing in Petroleum product and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 3(6) and punishable under section 1(17) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 of the Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of |Nigeria) Act 2007.

Count 2:
That you Mohammed Yusuf(M), Adamu Mansur(M), Sani Rabiu(M), Murtala Mohammed(M), Yahaya Usman(M), Idris Abubakar(M), Yahaya Mohammed(M), Ibrahim Hassan(M), Hamisu Kamba(M), Aminu Ibrahim(M) and Ibrahim Ahmed(M) on or about the 31st day of January, 2012 along Benin-Sapele bypass within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court without lawful authority deal in Petroleum product through an illegal bunkering to wit: transporting adulterated AGO in two (2) 33 thousand liters tankers with Registration numbers Niger XB 656 KMT and Kano XA 680 RAN from Bayelsa and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(17|)(a) and punishable under section 1(17) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 of the Revised Edition ( Law of the federation of Nigeria ) Act 2007.