THE Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has convicted and sentenced nine persons to 10 years’ imprisonment each for stealing crude oil from an oil wellhead in the state.
News Point Nigeria reports that the presiding judge, Joy Ikpeme, on Monday, 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.
The judge sentenced the defendants to five years’ imprisonment on count one, with no option of fine, and 10 years on count two, also with no option of fine.
The sentences are to run concurrently, meaning the defendants will each spend 10 years in prison.
The defendants were among 19 persons arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) following an intelligence-led operation by the Nigerian Navy and the secret police.
They were caught stealing crude oil from an oil wellhead identified as ASABO-D in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Crude oil theft remains one of the major factors affecting the country’s oil production, with Nigeria losing billions of dollars in revenue to the illicit activity.
In October 2025, the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) said Nigeria lost 13.5 million barrels of crude oil, valued at $3.3 billion, to theft and sabotage in 2022.
Similarly, in April 2026, troops of the Nigerian Army foiled a “large-scale” illegal oil bunkering operation along the Lekki–Ibeju coastal axis of Lagos State.
Fifteen suspects were arrested during the operation, while troops recovered multiple vehicles, marine equipment and pumping devices allegedly used for illegal petroleum siphoning.
