By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
Seven men arrested by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.(NSCDC ) were arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Monday over offences bordering on alleged vandalism and tampering with Petroleum Pipeline of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd.
The defendants are: Godbless Ebi, Gabriel Otovor, Saheed Abdularahman, Anthony Arubayan, John Adebayo, Emmanuel Ajayi, and Godwin Joseph.
They are standing trial before Justice Abimbola Awogboro, on a two-counts charge bordering on unlawful tampering with petroleum pipeline.
After listening to the 2-counts charge preferred against them, each of the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecutor, Mrs. O. Halima, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on January 10, at the Obawole, Fagba area of Lagos.
In count one, the prosecution alleged that without lawful authority, the defendants willfully attempted to tamper with a pipeline of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL).
In count-two, they were alleged to have without lawful authority willfully tampered with the pipeline which are meant for the transmission of petroleum products.
According to the charge, the offences contravene the provisions of Sections 1(19) and 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Law of the Federation, 2004.
The court granted the defendants bail in the sum of N5 million each, with two sureties each in like sum.
Among other conditions, the court held that one of the sureties must be a blood relation of the defendants, with a landed property anywhere in Lagos .
The court also held that the other surety must have a substantial means of livelihood.
The judge adjourned the case until March 11 and 12 for trial. Meanwhile, she
ordered the defendants to be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre , pending perfection of their bail terms.
