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Witness indicts Russian diplomats over missing ship
By Alex Olise and Emmanuel Badejo
A NAVAL officer's testimony yesterday indicted the officials of the Russian embassy in Nigeria for the missing oil ship, MT. African Pride.
The witness, Lt. Adekunle Oladipo, told the court-martial sitting in Lagos that the Russian embassy officials who visited the ship on the high sea should account for its disappearance.
Oladipo was the Base Intelligence Officer (BIO) NNS Beecroft, Western Naval Command, Apapa, when the vessel was reported missing.
Oladipo told the Rear Admiral Joseph Ajayi-led court-martial trying three top Naval chiefs over the missing vessel that the crude oil content in the MT. African Pride was first removed shortly after the Russians visited the ship.
He added that the Russians said that they came to see their nationals who were among the arrested 22-member crew on board. "As the base intelligence officer in charge of all the seized vessels, I raised alarm the first time these officials were granted permission to visit the ship. I told the senior officers during a security meeting chaired by the then Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Samuel Kolawole, that the ship MT. African Pride was not safe where it was, because it was too far from the base. But no one heeded the alarm I raised. So, I decided to keep quiet at that time until the ship eventually disappeared."
Oladipo, with service No NNS1865, said he was actually attached to the Directorate of Naval Intelligence, Lagos annex, as a Senior Officer "3" operation, until he was called to relieve the Base Intelligence Officer, NNS Beecroft, who he said went for a course as at the time the ship disappeared.
He said that when he came to take over, he "demanded to see all the ships arrested so I was taken to the high sea and I saw all the ships, including the missing ship. I told the Chief Staff Officer, that there was the urgent need to move the ship close to the Defence Jetty near Marina for safety of the ship and the crew but no action was taken."
He continued: "But as an intelligence officer, I could tell this court that the problem that led to the removal of the crude content occurred after the visit of the Russian embassy officials."
But his testimony was interrupted as the defence team failed to provide original document they intended to tender as an exhibit to ensure a proper cross-examination.
Another witness, Captain Oluseyi Soda, the Command Legal Officer (CLO), Western Naval Command, also told the court how he gave legal advise to Kolawole to get clearance from Naval Headquarters before the Russian embassy officials could be allowed to visit the ship.
He said that the FOC did not heed his advice and the request was granted by MHQ which made the embassy officials visit the vessel.
On cross-examination by the leading counsel to Kolawole, Mr. Babatunde Fashanu, Soda said he was not aware of any panel of inquiry set up by the Chief of Naval Staff to investigate the missing ship.
Soda told the court that his job was purely administrative, having nothing to do with operations. Asked if he saw any file bearing "Merchant Vessel file," the witness said he saw it after the missing ship had been arrested. But he stated that the file left his office between August 8 and October 5 on the request of Kolawole.
Another witness who also testified yesterday was the Chief Clerk, Western Naval Command, Warrant Officer F.A. Oke.
He told the court that Kolawole collected the file through one of his aides on September 8, 2004.
Further hearing continues today.
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