FHC sentences seven pirates to seven years in gaol

Etim Effiong

A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced each of the seven pirates involved in the hijack of MT MAXIMUS vessel and transfer of petroleum products off it to seven years in jail.

The presiding judge, Justice Muslim Hassan delivered the judgement after approving the October 9, 2020 plea bargain agreement, which was entered with the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

Those convicted are Umarama Michael Ovuiro; Adesola Marcus Peter; Collins Adebayo Harrison; Paul Ayinde Adeyemi; Ayodeji Joshua; Samuel Timothy Oluwafemi and Abdulrahman Kabir O, alias Tunde.

According to the judgement, the sentence would run from February 22,2016, when the pirates were arrested and held in custody.

It was said that as part of the plea bargain deal, eight defendants, Abdulrahaman Kabir 0, alias Tunde, shall testify as a witness in the proceedings against first defendant, MT DEJIKUN.

MT DEJIKUN was alleged to be the operational vessel the pirates used to hijack MT MAXIMUS.

MT DEJIKUN did not court a deal with the AGF’s office and Justice Hassan adjourned till April 21, for its trial.

The eight convicts, during their arraignments, pleaded not guilty to the crime and were held in custody.

The OAGF’s Chief State Counsel, A.K. Alilu told the hearing that the defendants, on or about the February 19, 2016, off the Nigerian coast, hijacked and unlawfully dealt in petroleum products from MT MAXIMUS.

The court heard that they were armed with an AK49 rifle, AK56 rifle, a single barrel magnum pistol, 161 rounds of live 7.62 ammunition, 6 empty AK47 cartridges and 6 cartridges.

The prosecution called three witnesses, but the defence objected to the admissibility of the defendant’s statements.

Justice Hassan ordered a trial within trial to determine the voluntariness of the statements after which the court admitted it in evidence.

Following the judge’s ruling the second to eight defendants changed their pleas. This was after three years of trial. MT DEJIKUN maintained its “not guilty” plea.