The Nigerian Navy (NN), yesterday handed over an oil bunkery ship to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation and prosecution , five months after its seizure.
The seized vessel , MT Takoradi and its 11-member crew which included the Captain and chief Engineer, Musa Mohammed and Otuagoma Freeborn, were arrested on 26 January, 2012 for conveying N1million worth liters of Diesel without Navy’s clearance as stipulated in bunkering regulations.
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The Commander, Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft, Commodore Martins Njoku, while handing over the ship to EFCC, explained that the ship was arrested by the newly acquired warship, NNS Thunder while on patrol duty on the sea and subsequently handed it over to his command for discrete investigation.
Preliminary investigation according to him, revealed that the seized ship was sailed by the charter NEPS Nigeria Limited which claimed to have applied for NN clearance at the Directorate of Marine Services (D’ Marine) but was rejected on the ground that its documents were incomplete.
“Since NEPS Nigeria Limited failed to tender relevant documents to prove their claims that they had attempted to get clearance,thus failing to obtain NN clearance before carrying out the operation, it thereby contravened the Federal Government order to obtain clearance from NN to bunker.” .
While receiving the vessel, Head, Counter Terrorism and General Investigation, EFCC Lagos Office, Mr. Aminu Aliu, said evacuation would be done later, assuring that the commission would do justice by investigating further whether the bunkery was illegal or not.
He said: “We are very happy at the arrest and we are ready to work with Navy to find solutions to corruption that is battling the nation’s economy.”
