Justice. I. Sani of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has convicted the duo of Eimiuhi Gabriel and Godwin Ossai and their company, Ehikioya Associates Nigeria Limited, for operating a vessel, MT Madam Esther in Nigerian territorial waters without due licence and registration from the appropriate authority.
The trio was arraigned on a one-count charge each by the Benin Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes, EFCC.In view of their pleas, prosecution counsel, Austin Ozigbo prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.Justice Sani convicted them and ordered them to pay a fine of N500,000 each to the Federal government of Nigeria.
The defendants were arrested in January by men of the Nigerian Navy Ship Delta around Ogbodo Creek and handed over to the EFCC for further investigation and prosecution.