Warri court jails 10 for illegal diesel trade, with fines from ₦300,000

A Federal High Court in Warri, Delta State, has handed prison terms to 10 people who admitted to illegal dealing in petroleum products, including diesel that did not meet required quality standards.

Justice H.A. Nganjiwa delivered the ruling on Friday, 6 November 2026. The case was brought by the Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which said the arrests followed a tip-off from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) about suspicious activity in Koko, Warri North Local Government Area.

The 10 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. Each faced a single count of criminal conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum products, and all pleaded guilty when it was read to them.

Prosecution counsel Francis Jirbo then asked the court to convict and sentence them on the strength of their pleas.

Why this matters for drivers

One of the charges, against Victor Edem Udo, alleged that he handled Automotive Gas Oil (AGO, or diesel) that fell short of the quality expected of the product. The offence was said to have taken place at Koko on 8 August 2026, and the charge cited Section 1(18)(a)(ii) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Poor-quality diesel is a direct concern for Nigerian motorists and businesses that run generators. It can damage engines and fuel systems, which means extra repair bills on top of what drivers already pay at the pump.

The EFCC did not say how much product was involved in this case, or whether any of the convicts have paid the fines instead of serving time.

What happens next

The sentences break down as follows:

• James Terry and Gift Ezewu Godfrey: two years each, or a ₦300,000 fine each.
• Obidi Peter Obi, Victor Ataria Sule, Jubril Abubakar, Auwal Aliyu, Nnaemeka Nwobodo and Victor Edem: three years each, with an option of ₦300,000 each.
• Anthony Onyebuchi Edekobi: three years, or a ₦350,000 fine.
• Sunday Ndem Eyere: three years, or a ₦400,000 fine.

The convictions come as security agencies step up action against illegal refining and the sale of petroleum products outside the rules. The EFCC said this week that it had found a suspected illegal refinery in Ogere, Ogun State, allegedly run by Chinese nationals, where substances believed to be diesel were stored in underground tanks. The commission said the operators allegedly brought sludge oil from Warri and Port Harcourt for processing.

Separately, the Nigerian Navy said it found a suspected illegal refining site in Rivers State in October 2026 holding about 114,500 litres of petroleum products, including about 105,000 litres of suspected illegally refined diesel and 9,500 litres of suspected stolen crude.

For residents of oil-producing communities, the wider worry is the pollution and safety risk that illegal refining brings, as well as the loss of revenue that should reach government coffers.