The Federal High Court (FHC) sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced nine convicted crude oil thieves to 10 years in prison without an option of fine following a joint intelligence-led operation by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Navy (NN).

The convicts were among 19 suspects arrested earlier this year after security operatives caught them allegedly stealing crude oil from an oil well head identified as Asabo-D in Ibeno Local Council of the state.

READ ALSO: DPRP to Favour Small Investors in Event of IPO Oversubscription

Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Joy Ikpeme found the nine men guilty on a two-count charge of conspiracy and tampering with an oil pipeline, contrary to Section 1(7) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.

The judge sentenced each of them to five years’ imprisonment on the first count and 10 years on the second count, with no option of fine. The sentences are to run concurrently.

The remaining 10 suspects arrested during the operation are expected to face further legal proceedings.

The arrests followed an intelligence-led operation conducted by the DSS in collaboration with the NN as part of efforts to disrupt crude oil theft and illegal bunkering activities in the oil-producing communities of Akwa Ibom.

The conviction was described by a security source as another significant step in the sustained campaign against oil theft, particularly along Nigeria’s maritime and riverine areas.

According to the source, crude oil theft and illegal bunkering have continued to deprive the country of vital oil revenue while inflicting serious environmental damage on host communities.

The source said the latest conviction underscored the determination of security agencies to ensure that those involved in the theft of the nation’s crude resources are brought to justice.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called on legal practitioners in the country to desist from the illegal and unethical practice of charging clients in foreign currencies.

The Commission disclosed this in a post on its official X account on Monday.

SEE ALSO: Expose Stolen Nigerian Assets Abroad, Get Up to 5% Reward — EFCC

The call was made on Friday, September 11, 2026, in Lagos by the Acting Zonal Director of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, ACE I Bawa Usman Kaltungo, when he received a delegation of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Lagos Task Force on Illegal Practice of Law, led by its Head, Moshood Abiola.

Speaking during the interactive session, Kaltungo expressed concern over the activities of lawyers who engage in “illegal and unethical practices,” stressing that the Commission would not hesitate to prosecute anyone found culpable.

He also urged legal practitioners to desist from charging their clients in foreign currencies, warning that such practice could attract regulatory action.

The Nigeria Police Force has recorded a series of operational successes across eight states and the Federal Capital Territory, rescuing four kidnapped victims, repelling a bandit attack and arresting several suspects linked to kidnapping, armed robbery, illicit drug trafficking and other offences.

The Force disclosed this in a statement shared via its official X account on Saturday, September 12, 2026.

The operations, carried out between September 10 and 12, covered Benue, Kaduna, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Kano, Sokoto, Enugu and the FCT.

SEE ALSO: ‘The Problem Is Misconduct, Not Cameras’ — Inibehe Fires Back at IGP Over Police Recording Ban

In Benue State, combined teams of Police Mobile Force, tactical and conventional operatives successfully repelled what the police described as a large-scale armed bandits’ attack on Ayilamo Community.

According to the Force, the assailants were forced to retreat into the forest with “heavy casualties” inflicted on them.

The matter is currently being investigated by the State Criminal Investigation Department, Makurdi.

In Kaduna State, police operatives rescued a man and his two sons who had been abducted by armed men.

The Force said the operatives pursued the abductors and engaged them in a gun duel, forcing the assailants to abandon all three victims, who were rescued unharmed and reunited with their family.

In a separate operation in Kaduna on September 12, police operatives also rescued a 60-year-old woman who had been kidnapped.

The police said the operatives engaged the armed assailants during a search-and-rescue operation, forcing them to flee and abandon the victim.

She was subsequently taken to hospital for medical attention before being reunited with her family.

In Anambra State, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad arrested a suspected member of a criminal gang allegedly involved in kidnapping and armed robbery.

The suspect reportedly confessed and provided information expected to assist the police in apprehending other gang members and recovering firearms.

Meanwhile, in the Federal Capital Territory, police surveillance operatives on anti-one-chance patrol along the Kubwa Expressway arrested three suspected members of a robbery gang.

The suspects were allegedly specialising in snatching handbags and mobile phones from commuters.

The police said the suspects also provided useful information that could assist in the arrest of other members of the gang.

Another operation in the FCT resulted in the arrest of a suspect allegedly caught attempting to steal a Mercedes-Benz C300.

According to the Force, the suspect was apprehended after being caught “red-handed” while attempting to deactivate and steal the vehicle.

In Akwa Ibom State, police operatives raided a suspected criminal hideout in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area following credible intelligence.

Three suspects were arrested, while “large quantities of substances suspected to be Indian hemp and other illicit drugs” were recovered.

In Kano State, five suspects were arrested following an investigation into a suspected abortion-related death.

The police said the suspects were connected to the incident and that the State Criminal Investigation Department, Bompai, is handling the investigation.

In Sokoto State, police tactical, area command and divisional patrol teams responded to a violent protest in Tambuwal.

The Force said the rioters were dispersed “without loss of life or injury”, while 10 suspects were arrested in connection with the disturbance.

In Enugu State, police operatives arrested a suspect following a complaint of alleged defilement. The Force said the suspect subsequently confessed to the offence.

The police said investigations into the various cases are ongoing, with the relevant State Criminal Investigation Departments and the Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja handling the investigations.