By Omeiza Ajayi

ABUJA—The Calabar Division of the Federal High Court has sentenced 16 vandals, who were charged with adulterating 100 tonnes of diesel, to life imprisonment.

The suspects were also ordered to forfeit to the Federal Government their vessel, MV ALEZZA LILAH, which they used for the operation.

A statement by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, yesteday in Abuja, signed by its spokesperson, Emmanuel Okeh, said: “The affected persons were arrested by the Bayelsa State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps along Brass River in Bayelsa on MV ALEZZA LILAH.”

He said the Commandant General of NSCDC, Abdullahi Gana, read the riot act to vandals, illegal dealers on petroleum products and product adulterators to desist or face the wrath of the law.

The statement said the suspects were charged for conspiracy and adulteration, contrary to Sections 1(17) and (18) (a) and (1) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap, M17 LFN 2004 and punishable under the sections.

It added that the trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, convicted the 16 accused persons on all the charges and consequently sentenced them to life imprisonment.

Gana charged the NSCDC personnel not to relent in their crusade of Operation Zero Tolerance to vandalism, illegal bunkering, oil theft and other associated crimes.

He said: “Enough is enough, we must rise to the challenge of tackling this ugly phenomenon of vandalism and other related crimes.

“Attacking our personnel will not deter us from fighting the scourge, rather it makes us to be more rugged and dogged in the crusade.

“I, therefore, use this opportunity to warn all those in this illicit business to quit.”