A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State under Justice E.I. Mark has sentenced one Henry Frimenjibo to four years imprisonment for illegal dealing of petroleum without appropriate license.

This was made known by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday in a statement titled, ‘Court jails oil thief four years in Port Harcourt’.

The statement partly read, “The convict was jailed after pleading guilty to two- count charges bordering on conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum products without authority and appropriate licence, upon his arraignment by the Port Harcourt’ s Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC.”

One of the count charge read, “That you Henry Frimenjibo, Brown Tekpa Milo (still at large), Godwin Ogbonna (Still at large) and MV Omiete VI on or about the 14th day of October, 2016 around Onne Waters in Rivers State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority and appropriate licence did conspire among yourself to commit felony to wit: illegal dealing in One Hundred Thousand litres (100,000) of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (17) (a) of Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17 of the Revised Edition, (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) and punishable under Section 1 (17) (b) of the same Act.”

Justice Mark, in his judgement, sentenced the defendant to two years imprisonment on each count, which run concurrently.

However, the judge also offered an option of fine of N750,000 on each of the two counts.