11 Fishermen Re-arraigned for Vandalism

Eleven Fishermen wednesday re-appeared before a Federal High Court in Lagos for pipeline vandalism.

The accused are: Sidi Egbayelo, 31, Sunday Shadrach, 41; Edem Okon, 32; Godwin Kofa, 30; Rosemon Neito, 32; Ejona Kpamkpam, 25; and Moses Victor, 30.

Others are: Chris Sunday, 31; Peter Gay, 23; Remo Uchugwu, 25; and Mike Sabato, 31.
They are standing trial on a four-count charge of conspiracy, vandalism, stealing, and unlawful possession of petroleum products.

The accused were first arraigned on February 7, 2013 before Justice Musa Kurya and they had all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Justice Kurya had granted them bail in the sum of N2 million each with two sureties each in like sum.

The court had then commenced trial of the accused.
However, the accused were yesterday re-arraigned before a new judge, Justice Rabiu Shagari, following the transfer of Kurya from the Lagos division of the court.
They again, each pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Justice Shagari in his ruling on their bail application, allowed the accused to continue with the earlier bail granted by Kurya.

He subsequently adjourned the case to June 13 and June 14 for trial.
In the charge, the accused were said to have committed the offences on December 21, 2012.
The prosecutor, Mr. Justin Enang, said the accused were apprehended at 1.00 a.m. on the day at Atlas Cove in Lagos, where they allegedly engaged in unlawful extraction of petrol.
According to Enang, about 220 drums of petrol were recovered from the accused, who allegedly obtained the product from a vandalised pipeline for illegal sale.

He said that the product is valued at N5.3 million.
The offences contravened the provisions of Sections 390 and 516 of the Criminal Code Act, 2004.
It also contravened the provisions of Section 7(a), (b) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, 2004