JTF Seizes 1,000 Tonnes of Crude Oil in Rivers

The Joint Task Force (JTF) operating in the Niger Delta said that it arrested a vessel laden with 1,000 tonnes of crude oil off the coast of Bonny Island in Rivers State. 
It paraded nine suspected crew members, all of them Nigerians, before journalists in Bonny.

The Two Brigade Army spokesman, Maj. Michael Etete, said the Nigerian-registered vessel, MT Atlantic Star, was arrested while illegally tapping crude oil from a pipeline.

He said the arrests, by troops of Sector Two in Bonny, followed a military intelligence report on December 29. He restated JTF’s commitment towards stamping out oil theft, illegal oil bunkering and other criminal activities within its area of responsibility in line with its mandate.
The captain of the vessel, Mr. Rauf Rasak, told reporters that the vessel was hijacked by six unknown gunmen who threatened to kill the crew members if he refused to cooperate with their illicit directives.

Rasak further claimed that the gunmen immediately took over navigation of the vessel, anchored it in Bonny and thereafter loaded the vessel with the illegal crude oil. The captain claimed that the crew was innocent of the charges being brought against them by the JTF.

Capital Oil Faults Indictment over subsidy fraud

One of the indicted oil marketing companies, Capital Oil & Gas Industries Ltd, by the Presidential Committee on Verification and Reconciliation of Fuel Subsidy Payments headed by Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhede, has described as “very shoddy”, the report, which recommended it for criminal investigation.

Capital Oil & Gas in a statement said the committee erred by accusing it of infractions by making claims of subsidy payments without proof of existence of the mother vessel bill of lading or daughter vessel bill of lading, in spite of indisputable documents evidencing the purchase, payment, sailing and discharge of the cargo in question.

The company also argued the committee was wrong to have recommended that it collected subsidy payments for which proof of mother-vessels were not found in locations claimed at the time of transshipments. This, it said, was notwithstanding that all the relevant documents regarding the importation of the cargo, including mother and daughter vessels documents and the bill of lading was made available to the committee.

In addition, Capital Oil & Gas said it had provided to the committee, letters from Vitol S.A and Delany both internationally-recognized oil trading companies confirming the transshipment and vessel positions, transshipment from International Cargo Surveyor Inspectors (SGS), one of the key inspection companies worldwide.

EFCC Takes Over Illegal Oil Bunkering Vessel

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has taken possession of an illegal oil bunkering vessel suspected to be carrying 300 metric tonnes  of  illegally refined  Automotive Gas Oil also known as diesel. The vessel, MT Ocean Treasure, alongside eight crew members and three staff of Vital Shipping Limited, Apapa, owners of the vessel, were handed over to officials of the commission.

The crew members are: Ayoade Emmanuel, Stephen Bamgbose, Idowu Balogun, King. C. Fred,  Michael Ekanem,  Olorunwa Omowunmi, Felix Ayenuberu and Suru Lepe; while the three staff on board the vessel are: Onuoha Ikechukwu, Omodara Emmaneul and Faith Akhahowa.

Duniya David, Principal Maritime Safety Officer of NIMASA, who handed over the vessel and crew on behalf of the Director General of NIMASA, Mr. Haruna Baba Jauro, urged the commission to carry out further investigation on the source of the petroleum product and the operations of the vessel.

Receiving the document transferring the vessel and crew, Usman Ladan Baki assured Nigerians, that the EFCC will do its best in investigating the case.

 According to a statement from the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, reports showed that the vessel was first sighted on August 5, 2012 by NIMASA enforcement team on routine patrol off Escravos.  Their attention was drawn to the vessel because it wasn’t carrying a registered flag and they gave it a chase. In the encounter and ensuing gun fight, the vessel and its crew escaped. The boat conveying the patrol team ran out of fuel and had to make a retreat.  The boat later capsized and one of the patrol team members died. On account of this, NIMASA officials kept a tab on the vessel and eventually arrested it as it attempts to move into the Lagos Harbour.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/efcc-takes-over-illegal-oil-bunkering-vessel/122574/