A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has sentenced the Managing Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company, Mr Osagie Okunbor, and two other top officials of the oil firm to three months’ imprisonment with hard labour for contempt.
The other two officials convicted by the court are Nike Onyilola, who is the SPDC Secretary and Head of Legal Department; and Keibi Atemie, who is the Deputy Country Head of Legal/Managing Counsel, Global Litigation, Sub-Sahara Africa.
Delivering judgement on Tuesday in Suit Number PHC/1929/2018, the presiding judge, Justice George Omereji, said the three persons were convicted for refusing to obey a court order in 2008 instructing them to forfeit land where Bonny Crude Oil terminal was located.
The court order, according to Justice Omereji, was given 10 years ago by Justice Margaret Opara of the Rivers State High Court.
It was gathered that the said land belonged to the Jumbo Major House of Bonny and the Brown House of Finima in the Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Though the convicted Shell officials were not in court, Justice Omereji instructed the police and other law enforcement agencies to arrest and send them to prison.
The Punch
