Oil Theft: Courts order forfeiture of two intercepted vessels to FG

Following their interception and parade, two Federal High Courts, sitting in Abuja, have ordered the forfeiture of two illegal oil bunkering vessels, MT KALI and MT Harbor Spirit, to the Federal Government.

The courts also ordered the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) to put for sale the contents of the vessels suspected to be stolen crude oil.

This sale order smacks a departure from the retrogressive method security operatives had been applying as a deterrent to oil thieves by burning erring vessels with their contents which, in turn, further endangered the environment.

Accordingly, the courts directed that the proceeds from the sale of the contents be deposited by NNPCL in a bank account that will yield interest to be determined by the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court.

Justice J.K. Omotosho, while delivering an interim order of forfeiture in the case filed by the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, ordered that MT Harbor Spirit and its content be forfeited to the Federal Government, pending any counter motion within six months.

According to the certified true copy of the order, the courts directed that Affidavit of Compliance with its order be filed before it within 72 hours after the sale of the confiscated petroleum products.

A five-count charge was slammed against the vessel and its crew in the case number FHC/ABJ/CR/60/2024.

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The charges were deposed to by Mr. Idris Abdullahi Mohammed, a Chief Superintendent of Police, on behalf of the Inspector General of Police Special Task Force on Petroleum and Illegal Bunkering (IGP-STFPI) headed by Mr. Lot Lantoh Garba, an Assistant Commissioner of Police.

A sister Federal High Court, in Abuja, in an earlier landmark judgement, had ordered the forfeiture of MT KALI and its content to the federal authorities.

The police in the Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/18/2024 B/W: INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE V. MT KALI & 22 ORS, had arraigned the vessel and its 22 crew members before Justice J.O. Abdulmalik.

Justice Abdulmalik also granted the motion for the interim forfeiture of MT KALI & her content to the Federal Government.

The case is being prosecuted to a logical conclusion patriotically by TSSNL led by its Executive Director, Operations and Technical Services, Captain Warriedi Enisuoh and IGP-STFPI.

The investigation and prosecution of the two bunkering ships and their crew members were being diligently coordinated by Enisuoh and Head, Investigation, IGP-STPIB, Mr. Omar John Sini, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP).

This is the first time in recent times that oil thieves and their barons are being prosecuted and publicly brought to book.

Recall that MT KALI and MT Harbour Spirit were intercepted by the operatives of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Ltd (TSSNL) in conjuction with the special task force set up by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.

The MT KALI was arrested with 20 crew members while siphoning crude oil from the Pennington Oil field of the Anglo-Dutch energy giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in Bayelsa State, on January 11, 2024.

Weeks after, while investigations into the arrest of MT KALI were still ongoing, TSSNL apprehended MT Harbor Spirit on February 4th.

The Moldovian vessel was caught while siphoning crude oil from Sengana oilfields in the coastal axis of Bayelsa State in the Niger Delta.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE