Ifeanyi Ubah, the chief executive of Capital Oil and Gas Limited
Nigeria’s secret
police, the State Security Services, SSS, also known as DSSS, have
recommended death penalty for the chief executive officer of Capital
Oil, Ifeanyi Ubah for allegedly diverting about 80 million liters of
petrol, kept in his custody by the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation, NNPC.
The DSS on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 told a
court in Lagos that what Ubah allegedly did amounted to economic
sabotage, punishable by death. It added that the the oil businessman
intention was to plunge the country into economic chaos by creating
widespread scarcity of the product worth about N11 billion.
The DSS stated its position in a
counter-affidavit to Ubah’s application asking a High Court of the
Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to order his release from detention.
Ubah has been detained by the DSS for 14
days following justice Yusuf Halilu’s order for the agency to keep him
pending the completion of its investigation into the matter.
“The respondent (Ubah) was arrested on
reasonable suspicion of his involvement in the commission of crime. He
converted PMS, belonging to the NNPC, kept in the custody of his tank
farm, to his personal use.
“The action of the respondent is
sabotage of NNPC’s activities as it relates to the distribution of
petroleum products. If not for the urgent steps taken by the Federal
Government, the action of the respondent would have plunged the country
into widespread scarcity with its attendant effect on the economy.
“Petroleum is the lifeblood of the
Nigerian economy. NNPC is a major stakeholder in the petroleum industry
in Nigeria. An attack on the Nigerian economy is an economic threat to
national security dimension.
“The Nigerian populace will suffer
untold hardship if NNPC is unable to discharge its statutory
responsibilities, including distribution of petroleum products as well
as generating revenue for the country,” the affidavit deposed by Safwan
Bello read.
DSS’s lawyer, Mr G. Agbadua, told the
court that the act was punishable by death under the Petroleum
Production and Distribution (Anti-Sabotage) Act, 2004.
He stated, “The action of the respondent
(Ubah) to sabotage the distribution of petroleum products is a capital
offence under the Petroleum Production and Distribution (Anti-Sabotage)
Act, 2004.
“The punishment of sabotage under this
Act attracts death penalty. It is clear that the respondent was arrested
for the conversion of the property of the NNPC. It is not just ordinary
stealing, it is stealing of the lifeblood of the nation.
“Oil is the major source of revenue of
the Federal Government. Stealing of the revenue is a crime against the
economic interest of Nigeria and therefore, falls within the purview of
economic threat of national security dimension.”
Ubah had applied to the court to set
aside the detention order, arguing among others, that the court was
misled by the DSS, which allegedly suppressed material facts from the
court.
The court adjourned until May 25 for ruling.
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