The Nigerian Navy on Thursday said it has handed over to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) 70 out of 147 vessels arrested over illegal oil bunkering and crude oil theft.
This was disclosed by Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogala, Director of Lesson Learnt, at the resumed investigative hearing of the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on fuel subsidy probe on Thursday, in Abuja.
He said the Nigerian Navy did not have the power to prosecute arrested vessels, adding that arrested vessels and person’s were usually handed over to security agencies and in most cases EFCC.
Mr Ogala said, “From our record, 70 have so far been handed over to EFCC out of about 147 vessels that were arrested while others were handed over to other agencies,” he said.
He said that a total of 14 vessels arrested were handed over to the owners who had been acquitted of the cases against them.
He said in the records of seizures made in respect of petroleum products arrested over illegal oil bunkering and crude oil theft, a total of 127 vessels were involved in different forms of offences.
He said that a total of 40 vessels were arrested in 2017 and 9 in 2021, adding that it had provided details of the vessels arrested including the ones handed over to the prosecuting agencies.
He said this included those released to the owners within the same period.
“Now to the record of prosecutions, in respect of arrests made during seizure, the Nigerian Navy does not have the statutory responsibilities or power to prosecute arrested vessels.
“Arrested vessels and persons are usually handed over to security agencies in most cases EFCC.”
He said the NNPC and the Pipeline and Product Monitoring Company (PPMC) usually sent copies of letters with details of vessels permitted to lift oil products in and out of the country to the Nigerian Navy.
According to him, a total of 10,489 of such letters were sent to the Nigerian Navy in 2020 and 2021 alone.
“The Nigerian Navy wishes to state that we remained resolute to carry out our constitutional mandate and other assigned mandate and always available and ready to provide information.”
Rep. Mark Gbila (PDP-Benue) a member of the committee, said that the divulgence of additional information by the navy showed some level of patriotism.
