Court orders release of MV Blue Shark vessel to Nigerian owners

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Nigeria’s Chief of Naval Staff to release a seized vessel, MV Blue Shark, to the Nigerian owners.

Justice Emeka Nwite issued the release order following the peaceful resolution of all issues that led to the seizure of the vessel belonging to Streamflow Global Services and Jerusalem Obokeno.

The vessel was arrested and detained alongside its crew on May 6, 2024, while returning from Gabon to Warri in Delta State to carry out repair work.

The crews detained alongside the vessel are John Oyadonga, Foxy Bakpar Afoke, David Owolo, Otugo Solomon, Ugbogure Idolor, Joseph Eke, Eric Ebiodench, Obiku Felix, Emmanuel Akpomudjere, Franklin Anyanwu, and Eric Ovwidi.

The seizure later led to the filing of a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/639/2024 by Reuben Okpanachi Atabo (SAN) on behalf of the vessel owners.

Apart from their prayers for the release of the vessel, the owners had also asked for a sum of N500 million as damages to be paid to them for the unlawful arrest and detention of the vessel.

However, at the proceedings on Wednesday, Atabo informed Justice Nwite that parties in the matter have amicably settled during a round table discussion and that terms of settlement have been drawn for execution.

The senior lawyer also said that the parties agreed that, pending the execution of the terms of settlement, the vessel should be released to the owners.

The submission of the senior lawyer was corroborated by Mr. T. M. Ozioko, who represented a Cameroonian lawyer, Mr. Eugene Thomas Ndong Amaazee, at the proceedings, at whose stance the vessel was seized.

Following the consensus, the judge granted the oral application of the senior lawyer, ordered that the seized vessel be handed over to the owners, and subsequently fixed July 15 for the adoption of the terms of settlement as a judgement of the court.

It would be recalled that Streamflow Global Services and Jerusalem Obokeno had on May 17 secured an order of interim injunction that restrained the AGF, Naval Chief, and a Cameroonian lawyer, Eugene Thomas Ndong Amaazee, from moving the vessel known as MV Blue Shark from the Navy Dockyard in Port Harcourt to Cameroon, Gabon, or any place outside Nigeria.

Justice Nwite issued the restraining order while ruling in an ex-parte application argued by Atabo (SAN) on behalf of the owners of the vessel.

The judge had also barred the AGF and Chief of Naval Staff from acting on or giving effect to any order or judgement that may have emanated outside the country until the case of the vessel owner has been effectively disposed of.

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