The Port Harcourt Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 arraigned Enemo Okoria; Ebhofage Brown; Francis Dapagamo, a Tugboat DP28 and a company, Diesel Power Nigeria Limited before Justice J.K. Omotosho of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on two- count charges bordering on conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum product without appropriate licence.
They all pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to them.
In view of their pleas, prosecution counsel, J.N Dogonyaro prayed the court for a date to commence trial. However, counsel to the defendants, Dionu Nnah for the 1st defendant, Peace Anucha for the 2nd defendant, G.C. Egule for the 3rd defendant and B.O Koko for the 4th & 5th defendants informed the court of bail applications already filed on behalf of their clients.
Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter to March 18, 2021 for hearing of bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded in a Correctional Centre.
The defendants got into trouble when they were arrested alongside a Tugboat DP28 along Onne, Eleme, Rivers State on April 20, 2018 by Officers of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Pathfinder while transshipping 261, 000 litres of products suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil, AGO, from the Tugboat into a vessel: MV Nazarene without requisite license or authority to deal in petroleum products.