Oil Bunkering: Another Vessel Missing
From Ahamefula Ogbuh in Abuja
The House of Representatives Committee investigating the circumstances surrounding the sudden disappearance of a seized vessel ship, M.T. African Pride, used for bunkering has discovered that another vessel, M.T. Jimoh also disappeared in the same circumstance.
Chairman of the House Committee on Navy, Hon. Anthony Aziegbeni told newsmen yesterday that Minister of Defence, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso and four naval chiefs have also been summoned to appear before it to answer questions on the missing vessel.
Aziegbeni who spoke about the other missing vessel said the committee is yet to determine whether the M.T. Jimoh eloped with the crude oil in it.
While admitting discrepancies between the quantity of crude arrested with the illegal bunkerers, Aziegbemi said his Committee would rely on the figures provided by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He added that "we will cross-check with the National Maritime Authority (NMA) which will supply us with information on the capacity of each of the vessels".
According to Aziegbemi though the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Samuel Afolayan and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Tafa Balogun, gave evidence under oath and made conflicting submissions, the truth of the matter would be found in-between the two evidences.
On what the Committee intended to do over the discrepancy in the number of vessels and crude arrested, Aziegbemi said the matter would be further probed.
On why the defence minister was summoned, Aziegbeni said Kwakwanso was said to have written a letter to the Chief of Naval Staff directing him to release one "Prozerog" a Russian arrested on board the bunkering vessel on account of ill health before investigations on the matter could be concluded.
"The Minister of Defence is to be summoned to come and tell us why he wrote a letter in our possession directing that one Prozerog, a Russian on board the M. T. African Pride be released on health grounds. We want to know whether he is a medical doctor to know who is sick and how he got to know about the man's state of health", he said.
Others summoned to give evidence on the second phase of the investigation expected to commence next week are the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Sunday Kolawole and the officer he took over from, Rear Admiral Bob Manuel.
Bob Manuel was in charge of the Western Naval Command when the letters concerning M. T. African Pride was allegedly forwarded to him from the Naval Headquarters.
Aziegbemi further said Rear Admiral Agbiti and Commodore Bage of the Naval Headquarters were alleged to have issued letters directing that the suspects on board the arrested vessels be released while the vessels should still remain in custody of the Navy. The duo are expected to appear before the lawmakers to explain their roles in the entire saga.
The two naval chiefs were said to have countermanded the presidential directive that the seized bunkering vessels should be handed over to the police for investigation, including the crew, which the Inspector General of Police, Balogun said was not done.
Also, the deponent of the affidavit annexed to the compendium of documents the IG submitted to the House, John Amah from Etudo Chambers Lagos, is to appear to explain some of the information contained in his deposition, particularly where he averred that the Navy escorted some Russians from their embassy to the ship at high sea shortly before it eloped.
Both the IGP and the CNS had in separate testimony to the House panel accused each other of being responsibile for the missing ship. While Afolayan insisted that he gave order for the vessels to be handed over to the police after the January 29 meeting with President Olusegun Obasanjo at Aso Rock, Balogun denied that they were ever handed over to the police.
IGP challenged the CNS to produce handover documents, which he said would have been prelude to a transaction of such magnitude. Though the CNS promised to hand over the documents, he was yet to do so as at press time while the NNPC has handed over the ones they promised to the panel.
Meanwhile, the Navy is reported to have court-martialled some of its officers suspected to have links with the disappearance of the vessel, African Pride. Director General of the State Security Services, Col. Kayode Are had while giving testimony on the matter fingered the Navy for the missing ship. He explained that they were investigating some of the officers for bunkering.
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