DSS Arraign 19 Suspected Oil Thieves In Akwa Ibom

Operatives of Department of State Services (DSS), have vowed to sustain the ongoing offensives against oil thieves and other maritime criminals laying siege to the waterways of Niger Delta as no fewer than 19 suspects have so far been apprehended and arraigned before the Uyo, Akwa Ibom State Chief Magistrate Court.

Consequently, the DSS authorities have continued the arraignment of two additional suspects bringing the total to 19 currently facing trial for alleged crude oil theft.

Those brought before the Magistrate Court sitting at Fulga Road, Uyo yesterday included Arepade Dominic Ekprese and Benson Ekiokekeme Innocent, who were earlier on the run.

The Magistrate Court which declined jurisdiction over the matter due to the gravity of the crime, cited relevant portions of the constitution, and subsequently remanded the suspects at the Uyo Medium Correctional facility for an initial period of twenty-one days .

LEADERSHIP gathered that the Federal High Court vested the the original jurisdiction to handle the matter, is currently in recess, prompting the DSS to resort to the Magistrate Court for a legal order to detain the suspects pending resumption of the Federal High Court for proper trial.

Our correspondent recalls that the oil theft syndicate was smashed by the DSS on 9th April, 2026, following an intelligence driven operation led by Joint Task Force – South South, Operation Delta Safe (JTF-SS OPDS), which arrested 26 crew members and two motorized tankers -MT WESTAF and MT MKPODU.

The two vessels seized, according to the DSS, while siphoning crude oil from a platform operated by a major oil company operating on the shores of Akwa Ibom State, leading to the earlier arraignment of 17 of the suspects and the two vessels seized.

They were arraigned before the Federal High Court, Uyo, and later remanded at the Medium Security Correctional Center, Uyo pending resumption of the matter in September.

“The ongoing intelligence driven anti- crude oil theft operations across the Niger Delta region is part of Federal Government’s resolve to shore up the nation’s daily crude oil production which will in turn increase the country’s foreign exchange earnings.,” a senior security official stated.