Court sentences fugitive Oil thief to 10-year term

Fleeing Abednego Ogede, has been sentenced to 10-year imprisonment for dealing in 145,000 litres of petroleum products without the appropriate licence.

Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court Lagos, had December last year, convicted Ogede of four counts alongside a firm, Sagwe International Limited, and a vessel, MV Shirley.

Ogede however, could not be sentenced as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said he was on the run.

The judge had then issued an order for Ogede’s arrest, while he ordered the forfeiture of MV Shirley to the Federal Government and imposed N100m fine on Sagwe International Limited.

On Wednesday, the prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, told the judge that the fleeing Ogede had finally been arrested after being smoked out of his hiding by the police.

“We urge the court to sentence him according to Section 1(17) of the Miscellaneous Act 2004” Oyedepo told the judge.

The convict’s lawyer, Mr A. Joseph, pleaded with the judge to temper justice with mercy, saying Ogede was a family man with children whose survival depended on him.

Joseph urged the court to impose a fine rather than a prison sentence on Ogede.

But the prosecutor argued that the law under which Ogede was convicted did not allow for fine instead of prison sentence.

Ruling, Justice Aikawa sentenced Ogede to 10 years in prison.