Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have received eight suspects and a vessel loaded with about 100,000 litres of diesel from the Nigerian Navy.
Speaking during the handing over formalities at the jetty of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta, at its Warri base, the Commander of the NNS Delta, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu, warned those engaged in illegal businesses in the maritime environment of the country to desist or soon face the wrath of the law.
Commodore Dewu, who was represented by the Executive Officer (EO) of the NNS Delta, Navy Captain Adeyemi Adewuyi, while performing the formalities and parade of the suspects, explained that the arrested vessel; MV Mama Elizabeth 1, was arrested for failing to obtain valid naval approvals.
“MV Mama Elizabeth 1 was arrested on the 15th of March, 2019, around Escravos for carrying Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), popularly known as diesel, around 100,000 liters, without valid naval approval. It may interest you to note that MV Mama Elizabeth 1 was arrested because it failed to obtain naval approval before carrying the product.
“This morning, after our investigations, I have been directed by the naval headquarters to hand over MV Mama Elizabeth 1 to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for further investigations and possible prosecution.
“At the time of their arrest, there were eight suspects on board, they were all crew members. They are all going to be handed over to the EFCC along with the vessel.
“My warning is for those people that are denting or committing maritime crimes to desist from it because the Nigerian Navy will not relent in her efforts to arrest perpetrators of maritime crimes”, he warned.
Speaking after the handing over formalities, Principal Detective Superintendent with the EFCC, Benin Zonal Office, Mr. Richard Ogberaga, said the commission would carry out further investigations and ensure that all that would be found culpable face the law accordingly.
“We are going to investigate; first we will look at the source of the product, the quality of the product. These are the things we are going to look at, if there’s any culpability of anyone, we are going to prosecute them.
“We have started with taking samples, we are also going to see if the vessel can be sounded to get quantity and those are the things that we will do and get to know the extent of the involvement of the parties involved” he said.
