EFCC Docks Four Over Illegal Refineries

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned Felix Nwosu, Sadau Isa, Aliyu Hamza Hassan and Usman Nuhu on a four-count charge of conspiracy, illegal dealing and refining of petroleum products, before Justice E. S. Chukwu of the Federal High Court Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The suspects, who were denied bail by the judge, were alleged to be illegal operators of refineries which have a capacity of 33,000 litres located at Ohaobu-Ndoki village in Ukanagu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom state.

When the charge was read to the suspects, they pleaded not guiltyn thus necessitating the defence counsel, B.B. Mfon, to apply for their bail.

But the Judge turned down the bail application, on the grounds that he intended to conclude the case as quickly as possible.

He therefore adjourned the proceedings till 27 April, 2012 for continuation of trial, and ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody.

Officers of the State Security Service, SSS, arrested the accused persons on 2 March 2012, at Ukanagu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, along with Sunday Udedike, Yusuf Lawal and Abdullahi Haruna, who are presently at large.

At the time of their arrest, police recovered a 33,000 litres capacity Iveco Turbo Star Truck loaded with automotive gas oil, 33,000 litres capacity DAF 85CA Truck loaded with crude oil, two pumping machines, two barges, three speed boat engines and the Illegal refinery of an estimated 33,000 litres capacity and operational installations which had been operational for the last twelve months.

The illegal refinery is located close to a waterway through which illicit crude oil from barges can be easily siphoned into storage tanks for refining.

In another development, EFCC arraigned two bankers at a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers state on a four-count charge bordering on non-disclosure of a customer’s address owing to their failure to fully apply the mandatory Know-Your-Customer, KYC, directive before opening an account for the customer.

The bankers: Mrs. Makanjuola Feyisayo and Kanu-Okoro Ugonna were arraigned before Justice Akanbi.

While taking their pleas, the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The defence team led by I.B. Atiyegoba immediately applied for bail for the accused persons and the prosecuting counsel, A. A. Arimoro did not object.

The presiding judge granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N500,000 each and one surety in like sum.

The case has been adjourned till 2 May, 2012 for commencement of trial.

The two bankers ran into trouble when a petitioner alleged that Yusuf Sunday Alibi defrauded him to the tune of N2.4 million.

He further added that he paid the said amount in five instalments into the bank account of the said Alibi who is presently at large, and all efforts to locate him proved abortive because the address he filled in his account opening document was conjured and therefore could not be traced.

The bankers failed in their duty to enforce the KYC directive by not requesting for a recent utility bill from the run-away Alabi before opening the account for him.