ABUJA — THERE were indications yesterday that the State Security Services (SSS) might have indicted Naval authorities for dereliction of duty in the disappearance of a ship, M.V African Pride that was arrested for alleged oil bunkering in the country.
Also, Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr. Funsho Kupolokun yesterday told the House of Representatives Committee on Navy investigating the missing ship that that the NNPC had evacuated and sold the crude found in the ship before its disappearance. Although the Director General of the SSS appeared before the committee in camera, a source at the hearing told Vanguard that the testimony of the security chief “appeared to have indicted Naval authorities for apparent dereliction of duty and negligence.”
Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Samuel Afolayan and the Inspector-General of police Mr. Tafa Balogun who appeared separately before the committee last week traded blames on responsibility for disappearance of the ship. While the Naval chief said the ship had been handed over to the police according to a presidential directive, the police chief said the ship was never handed over, saying the Navy should be held responsible.
The SSS Director-General who was the last person to appear before the committee yesterday requested that he be allowed to appear in camera. The committee granted the request. According to a credible source at the committee meeting, “from the testimony of the Director-General, it appears that the Naval authorities have more explanation to make. “Although our investigation is still on, we were confronted with compelling reasons to believe that there were some level of complicity between some Naval personnel and those who stole the ship. What we will try to find out as it were is how high the connivance might have been. We will look at the submissions of all the parties before we will draw a definite conclusion,” the source told Vanguard yesterday.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Anthony Aziegbemi told journalists at the end of the closed door meeting that the testimony of the Director-General of the SSS was “revealing and useful.” He refused to divulge more information.
Earlier in his submission, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Funsho Kupolokun said the NNPC authorities evacuated the content of the missing ship before it disappeared. He said the evacuation was done in the presence of Naval personnel aboard the ship. The Chief of Naval Staff had alleged that the ship had been handed over to the Police at the time of evacuation of the crude. The NNPC chief said the content of crude oil in the M.V. African Pride was 6,499 metric cube and it was sold to Duke Oil at a cost of $24 per barrel.
