Warri court jails 10 for illegal diesel dealings, fines range from N300,000 to N400,000

The Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, has sentenced 10 persons to prison for illegal dealings in petroleum products, including substandard Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), also known as diesel. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said Justice H.A. Nganjiwa convicted and sentenced the defendants on Friday, November 6, 2026, after they pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of criminal conspiracy and illegal dealings in petroleum products.

The EFCC said in a statement: “Justice H.A. Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, on Friday, November 6, 2026, convicted and sentenced ten persons to jail for illegal dealing in petroleum products.”

Names and charges

The defendants are James Terry, Gift Ezewu Godfrey, Obidi Peter Obi, Anthony Onyebuchi Edekobi, Victor Ataria Sule, Jubril Abubakar, Auwal Aliyu, Nnaemeka Nwobodo, Victor Edem and Sunday Ndem Eyere. They were prosecuted by the EFCC’s Benin Zonal Directorate. The prosecution counsel, Francis Jirbo, asked the court to convict and sentence them after they entered guilty pleas.

One charge involved dealing in Automotive Gas Oil that did not meet expected quality standards. The offence was said to have occurred on August 8, 2026, in Koko, Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State. The charge against Victor Edem Udo cited Section 1(18)(a)(ii) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Revised Edition) 2004.

Sentences and fines

James Terry and Gift Ezewu Godfrey were each sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, with an option of a N300,000 fine. Obidi Peter Obi, Victor Ataria Sule, Jubril Abubakar, Auwal Aliyu, Nnaemeka Nwobodo and Victor Edem each received three years’ imprisonment, with an option of a N300,000 fine. Sunday Ndem Eyere was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment or a N400,000 fine. Anthony Onyebuchi Edekobi received three years’ imprisonment or a N350,000 fine.

The EFCC said the defendants’ arrest followed intelligence from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) about their suspicious activities in Koko, Delta State. They were subsequently arrested, investigated and prosecuted before the conviction by the Federal High Court.

Wider crackdown

The convictions come amid renewed efforts by security agencies to tackle illegal refining and the distribution of petroleum products in Nigeria. On November 3, 2026, the EFCC said it uncovered an illegal refinery allegedly operated by Chinese nationals in the Ogere area of Ogun State, where substances suspected to be AGO were found in underground tanks. The commission said preliminary investigations showed that the operators sourced sludge oil, also known as black sludge, from Warri, Delta State, and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, before transporting it to Ogere for processing into diesel for sale in the Nigerian market.

In October 2026, the Nigerian Navy uncovered a suspected illegal refining site containing approximately 114,500 litres of petroleum products in Rivers State. The discovery included about 105,000 litres of suspected illegally refined AGO and 9,500 litres of suspected stolen crude oil found in dugout pits.

The Warri convictions add to enforcement pressure on illegal petroleum dealings, a trade that can affect diesel quality and product supply in Nigeria.