N11bn Petrol Diversion: DSS Recommends Death Sentence For Ifeanyi Ubah
Ifeanyi Ubah, Capital Oil & Gas boss[/caption]
The Department of State Services has said that the diversion of about 80 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit by the Chief Executive Officer of Capital Oil and Gas Ltd, Ifeanyi Ubah is a crime that deserves a death sentence.
The PMS, commonly called petrol, was kept in his custody by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
The DSS had told a court in Lagos that what Ubah did amounted to economic sabotage, punishable by death.
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It further explained that 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.
“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.
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“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 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.
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“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.”
