Court jails prisons deputy comptroller for theft

C O Ogisi, a justice of Delta state high court, Sapele, on Wednesday convicted and sentenced Diete Wure Wisdom, a former deputy comptroller in charge of Ogwashi-Uku prison in the state, and Ayamede Peter, a senior inspector of prison, to three years in prison.

Their offence was stealing 27, 200 litres of automotive gas oil stored in exhibit trucks, left in the custody of the prison.

According Wilson Uwujaren, spokesman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC), they were prosecuted on a four-count charge and “on the strength of evidence that the duo conspired to sell products in three exhibits trucks: Mack tanker with registration number XD 605 JJT and Man Diesel Lorries with registration numbers, XD 789 ENU and XD 620 FGG, filled with AGO”.

Uwujaren explained that a petitioner had alleged that after the sale of the products, the drums and the tankers were refilled with water on the directives of Diete.

“Upon their arraignment on November 1, 2013, the convicts had pleaded not guilty to all the charges,” he said.

One of the counts read: “That you Wisdom Wure Diete and Peter Ayamede while being a deputy comptroller of prisons in charge of Ogwashi-Uku prison and a senior inspector of prison respectively on or about April 2012 at Ogwashi-Uku Judicial division did steal 27,200 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) being the content of the 134 drums of 200 litres each loaded in a truck with registration number: XN 789 ENU, valued at about N4, 02,000.00 property of the federal republic of Nigeria kept for safe keeping with the Nigerian Prison Service Ogwashi-Uku which you were in charge and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 390 and punishable under section 390 (5)(8)(b) & (9) of the Criminal Code Law CAP C21 Laws of Delta State of Nigeria 2006”.