The Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has convicted and sentenced nine people to 10 years in prison each for stealing crude oil from an oil wellhead in the state.
Presiding Judge Joy Ikpeme convicted the defendants on Monday on two counts of conspiracy and tampering with an oil pipeline, offences contrary to Section 1(7) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
The judge sentenced each defendant to five years’ imprisonment without an option of fine on the first count and 10 years without an option of fine on the second count.
The sentences will run concurrently, meaning each of the convicts will spend 10 years in prison.
The nine defendants were among 19 people arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) following an intelligence-led operation conducted by the Nigerian Navy and the secret police.
They were arrested while allegedly stealing crude oil from an oil wellhead identified as ASABO-D in Ibeno Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Crude oil theft remains a major challenge to Nigeria’s oil production, resulting in billions of dollars in lost revenue.
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 several vehicles, marine equipment and pumping devices allegedly used for illegal petroleum siphoning.