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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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Reps declare another ship missing
From John-Abba Ogbodo and Paschal Nwigwe, Abuja THERE are growing indications that there may actually be a "Bermuda Triangle" - where ships, planes and other solid objects vanish without trace - within the nation's waters. However, this Nigerian equivalent seems to have a biased appetite for ships laden with crude oil. Yesterday, the House of Representatives panel probing the disappearance of the once-detained ship, MT. African Pride, declared another ship, MT. Jimoh, missing. The Minister of Defence, Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso and more Naval chiefs have been summoned by the panel. The chairman of the panel, Anthony Aziegbemi who addressed a press conference at the National Assembly, also disclosed that a number of highly-placed people, including Kwankwaso, have been summoned by the panel to testify. Aziegbemi said MT. Jimoh from the testimonies given so far, seemed to have disappeared about the same time MT. African Pride did. He added that the ship was smaller than MT African Pride but could not ascertain whether it had crude oil aboard or not. The chairman further disclosed that following the analysis of the evidence given during the first phase of the hearing which ended last Tuesday, the committee had deemed it necessary to invite, besides the chief of operations in the Navy, Rear Admiral Francis Agbiti, former Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Command, Rear Admiral Bob Manuel; the current FOC, Western Command, Rear Admiral Samuel Kolawole; one Commodore Baje and a lawyer, John Amah, who swore to an affidavit which the Inspector General (IG) of Police, Tafa Balogun, used as evidence in his testimony. He gave reasons for inviting them, saying in the case of the Minister of Defence, he wrote one letter authorising the release of a Russian who was among the suspects on health grounds. The chairman said the minister's explanation for such action was required. Agbiti, according to the chairman, was the officer who met with the Police team when they went to the Naval headquarters. Both Manuel and Kolawole, Aziegbemi said, have questions to answer since both of them have something to do with the Western Command. He said it was Baje who signed the signal asking the FOCs, East and Western commands, to release the suspects while the ships should be under the custody of the Navy. Also to appear before the panel next week, according to the chairman, is the Commissioner of Police in charge of Marine. The chairman also indicated that both Balogun and the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) would still be required to clear the discrepancy in the number of ships detained. The CNS had put the number at 22 while the IG said eight. The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Funso Kupolokun, in his testimony, also said the ships were eight. The chairman also said the Navy was yet to give them documentary evidence of handing over of ships.`
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