The Federal High Court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced nine men to 10 years in prison each for offences related to crude oil theft and pipeline tampering.

Justice Joy Ikpeme convicted the men on Monday after finding them guilty of conspiracy and tampering with an oil pipeline, offences prosecuted under the Miscellaneous Offences Act.

The convicts were among 19 suspects arrested during a joint operation by the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Navy earlier this year.

The security agencies carried out the operation following intelligence on alleged crude oil theft around the Asabo-D oil well head in Ibeno Local Council of Akwa Ibom.

The court imposed a five-year sentence on each convict for conspiracy and 10 years for the second count. The sentences will run concurrently, leaving each of the nine men with a 10-year prison term.

The court also denied the convicts the option of paying a fine instead of serving their sentences.

The remaining 10 suspects arrested during the operation are expected to continue with their respective legal proceedings.

The arrests and subsequent convictions form part of ongoing efforts by security agencies to tackle crude oil theft and illegal bunkering in Akwa Ibom and other oil-producing areas.

Crude oil theft and illegal bunkering have continued to raise concerns over lost oil revenue and environmental damage in communities across the Niger Delta.