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Itode Akari
Port Harcourt – The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has adjourned until December 14 and 15, 2026, for the continuation of the trial of three men arrested by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Petroleum Products Theft and Sundry Energy Crimes in collaboration with Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) over alleged illegal dealings in refined petroleum products.
The defendants, Precious Nnedimma, Chukwu Ajunwa Okechukwu and David Nwachukwu, are facing charges of conspiracy, dealing in petroleum products without a licence and dealing in adulterated petroleum products.
The case, marked Suit No. FHC/PH/290/2025, was slated for hearing on Wednesday before Justice Patricia I. Ajoku, however, proceedings were stalled after defence counsel sought an adjournment, which the court granted, fixing December 14 and 15 for the continuation of hearing.
Addressing journalists after the court session, prosecuting counsel Ibrahim Mohammed said the prosecution was fully prepared to proceed with the trial.
He said, “The adjournment is at the discretion of the court but all we want is that the court should do justice and by God’s grace, justice would be done.
“With the overwhelming evidence before the court, by God’s grace we’ll have success in this matter.”
The defendants were arrested in August 2025 during a joint operation by the Inter-Agency Task Force and surveillance personnel of Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), the company responsible for securing the Eastern corridor of the Trans Niger Pipeline.
According to the Head of Investigation of the Task Force’s Special Prosecution Team, CSP Sini Omar John, the arrests followed weeks of intelligence gathering, surveillance and community engagement around a compound in Umuebule, Etche Local Government Area, near Cypa Junction.
“We received intelligence about the suspected activities at the premises, prompting the deployment of both drone technology and personnel for surveillance,” he said.
He added that investigators observed activities consistent with illegal refining operations, while residents reported frequent movement of vehicles to and from the compound at unusual hours.
Following the execution of a court-authorised search warrant, the joint team recovered hundreds of sacks containing suspected petroleum products and impounded six trucks along with several other vehicles. Subsequent laboratory analysis confirmed that the products were illegally refined petroleum.
The prosecution is expected to begin presenting its case when the matter comes up again on December 14.
