Twelve people were, on Wednesday, arraigned before the Chief Magistrate Court 3 located at Modern Market Makurdi for criminal conspiracy and illegal dealing in petroleum and allied products.

The suspects, who were last week, arrested in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, for dealing in black market of petroleum products by the state task force on petroleum monitoring committee at the NNPC mega station after a tip off, however, denied culpability.

Manu and his accomplice were alleged to have connived with some members of petroleum product black marketing out- fit outside the state to divert about 60,000 litres of kerosene supplied to the state by Capital Oil and Gas before they were arrested. The

suspects were said to be selling the product above the approved price of N50.00

 Chairman of the monitoring committee, Chief Ekpe Ogbu, had told newsmen that the suspects had, through their operations, frustrated the activities of the task force.

Ogbu, who noted the frustration of the efforts of the Federal Government by Manu and his cohorts by selling the product at N110 instead of the official rate of N50.00, said the 60,000 litres of kerosene were later shared at 20,000 litres each to Otukpo, Gboko and Makurdi.

 The trial Magistrate, Mrs Lilian Tsumba adjourned the case to August 17 for further hearing.

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