An Upper Area Court sitting in Abuja has issued criminal summons against Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria and seven of its top Executives over allegations of stealing 16 million barrels of crude oil “through the use of a fraudulent and unapproved metering system.
The accused persons are Chibueze Uduanochie, Simon Ruddy, Bashir Bello, Osagie Okunbor, Igo Weli, Toyin Olagunji and Captain Callium Finlayson.
The summon, dated February 25, was issued and signed by Honourable Judge, Gambo Garba, of Upper Area Court, sitting in Zuba, Abuja.
Specifically, the court ordered Shell petroleum company and its seven executives to appear before it on March 2, to answer the charge levelled against them by the complainant.
The suit is marked DC/CR/200/2021, and was filed by the African Initiative Against Abuse of Public Trust.
By the suit, the group alleged that as operators of the Bonny Terminal, Shell installed an unapproved metering system which it claimed was temporary and which it manipulated to deliberately understate the volume of crude oil that was injected to the terminal thereby shortchanging the local oil companies, owners of the oil and the Federal Government the revenue due to them.
The oil companies include Belema Oil, Eroton, AITEO and Newcross.
Consequently, the group seeks an order of court convicting the Shell Executives “for the criminal acts of conspiracy, theft, and cheating which are in violation of Sections 97, 287 and 323 of the Penal Code Law Cap 89 Law of Northern Nigeria, 1963.”
The group also alleged that “Shell has admitted to having cheated the companies of about 2 million barrels and also committed to refund the crude to the companies.
The group said it will be pressing for the maximum punishment which is 6 months in jail for conspiracy, 5 years for theft and 5 years for cheating.
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