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FOU In Spectacular Seizures: Carts N570m Contraband To Lagos Warehouse‏

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  • EFCC arraigns Tompolo, Akpobolokemi’s brothers in absentia

Smugglers operating on Lagos – Ogun States axis incurred heavy loses last weekend, as Federal Operations Unit (FOU) snatched various contraband goods with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of over N570m.

The FOU Zone ‘A’, an arm of the Nigeria Customs Service in Ikeja, Lagos Controller,  Umar Mohammed Dahiru who indicated this, said the items included imported frozen poultry products, foreign parboiled rice, vehicles, vegetable oil and trucks of unprocessed teak woods, alongside some other general merchandise.

DSC UCHE EJESIEME

DSC UCHE EJESIEME

“The renewed war has just begun”,  he declared,  providing a breakdown which showed 4,911 bags of 50kg parboiled rice; 15,048 cartons of imported frozen products; 1,884 vegetable oils; 17 trucks of unprocessed teak woods,  etc.

The Comptroller highlighted that three brand new Toyota Prado jeeps also intercepted about the same time with a value yet to be determined were currently being investigated to determine their status, as their owners were yet to furnish the Command with the required documents to facilitate it.

He therefore warned rice importers still using the land borders to desist,  stressing that Col. Hameed Ali’s directive that rice should only be allowed in to the country through the seaport would be strictly and stringently effected, to the Command.

Echoing his Boss’s view,  the Command’s image maker, Uche Ejesieme noted the preparedness of the officers and men of the Command, stressing that they were indeed getting more and more ingenious, the more the smugglers were getting more and more creatively adventurous.

Specifically,  Uche highlighted the mode of concealment of the frozen poultry products, describing the cleverness adopted so as to fool the hawks eyed officers who still ‘fished’ them out, some, amongst frozen fish;and others,  within cooling vans.

In the meantime, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday arraigned a former Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, in absentia on 22 counts of fraud amounting to N47.6bn.

Also arraigned in absentia in relation to the alleged fraud were six brothers of a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency, Patrick Akpobolokemi – Igo, Julius, Victor, Norbert, Emmanuel and Clement.

Tompolo, Igo, Julius, Victor, Norbert, Emmanuel and Clement were declared as being “now at large” when the charges were read before a Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday.

But Akpobolokemi himself, two females, Josephine Otuaga and Rita Uruakpa  and one Kime Engozu, who were also listed as defendants in the amended charge, were present in court on Monday to answer to the charges.

The other defendants in the charge were six companies, namely: Mieka Dive Training Institute Ltd./GTE; Oyeinteke Global Network Ltd.; Wabod Global Resources Ltd.; Boloboere Properties Estate Ltd.; Gokaid Marine Oil and Gas Ltd.; and Watershed Associated Resources.

The charges bordered on conspiracy, advanced fee fraud and money laundering.

In one of the counts, the EFCC alleged that the defendants conspired among themselves to defraud the Federal Government between December 2, 2014 and April 10, 2015, by inducing the Federal Government to deliver  N11.9bn to them.

The EFCC claimed that the accused persons induced the Federal Government by “falsely pretending to the Federal Government that a parcel of land and its appurtenances situated at Mieka Dive Training Institute, Kurutie, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State had been acquired by NIMASA for the temporary campus of the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko.”

By allegedly making fraudulent and false representations to the Federal Government, the EFCC said the defendants violated Section 1 (b) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other fraud related offences Act, 2006 and were liable to punishment under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

In another count, the EFCC accused the defendants of fraudulently converting N13,027,564,822 belonging to NIMASA to  theirs in 2014.

The offence is said to be contrary to Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012.

The defendants were also accused of swindling the Federal Government to the tune of N11.940bn, by presenting a forged Certificate of Customary Right of Occupancy of Bendel State of Nigeria, dated May 6, 2014, to NIMASA on the false claim that the forged document was genuine and issued by the Warri South-West Local Council, Delta State.

For the alleged offence, the EFCC said the defendants were liable to being punished under Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap. M17, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

But Akpobolokemi and his alleged accomplices pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The presiding judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba, subsequently admitted them to bail.

Akpobolokemi, who had earlier been arraigned along with others by the EFCC at two different times before Justice Buba, was allowed to continue with a bail granted him by the judge on March 22, 2016.

The 2nd defendant, Engozu, who had also been earlier arraigned, was also allowed to continue with the bail granted him on March 22, 2016.

The 3rd and 4th defendants, – Otuaga and Uruakpa – were granted a N50m bail each with one surety in like sum.

The judge said the surety must be resident in Lagos and must own a developed landed property and swear to an affidavit of means.

The defendants and the sureties were asked to submit their passport photographs to the court.

Further proceedings in the case were adjourned till May 30 and 31, 2016.

Additional report from Punch

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WAIVER CESSATION: Igbokwe urges NIMASA to evolve stronger collaboration with Ships owners

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…Stresses the need for timely disbursement of N44.6billion CVFF***

Highly revered Nigerian Maritime Lawyer, and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Igbokwe has urged the Nigeria Maritime Administration and safety Agency (NIMASA) to partner with ship owners and relevant association in the industry to evolving a more vibrant merchant shipping and cabotage trade regime.

Igbokwe gave the counsel during his paper presentation at the just concluded two-day stakeholders’ meeting on Cabotage waiver restrictions, organized by NIMASA.

“NIMASA and shipowners should develop merchant shipping including cabotage trade. A good start is to partner with the relevant associations in this field, such as the Nigeria Indigenous Shipowners Association (NISA), Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Oil Trade Group & Maritime Trade Group of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).

“A cursory look at their vision, mission and objectives, show that they are willing to improve the maritime sector, not just for their members but for stakeholders in the maritime economy and the country”.

Adding that it is of utmost importance for NIMASA to have a through briefing and regular consultation with ships owners, in other to have insight on the challenges facing the ship owners.

“It is of utmost importance for NIMASA to have a thorough briefing and regular consultations with shipowners, to receive insight on the challenges they face, and how the Agency can assist in solving them and encouraging them to invest and participate in the maritime sector, for its development. 

“NIMASA should see them as partners in progress because, if they do not invest in buying ships and registering them in Nigeria, there would be no Nigerian-owned ships in its Register and NIMASA would be unable to discharge its main objective.

The Maritime lawyer also urged NIMASA  to disburse the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF)that currently stands at about N44.6 billion.

“Lest it be forgotten, what is on the lips of almost every shipowner, is the need to disburse the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (the CVFF’), which was established by the Coastal and Inland Shipping Act, 2003. It was established to promote the development of indigenous ship acquisition capacity, by providing financial assistance to Nigerian citizens and shipping companies wholly owned by Nigerian operating in the domestic coastal shipping, to purchase and maintain vessels and build shipping capacity. 

“Research shows that this fund has grown to about N44.6billion; and that due to its non-disbursement, financial institutions have repossessed some vessels, resulting in a 43% reduction of the number of operational indigenous shipping companies in Nigeria, in the past few years. 

“Without beating around the bush, to promote indigenous maritime development, prompt action must be taken by NIMASA to commence the disbursement of this Fund to qualified shipowners pursuant to the extant Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (“CVFF”) Regulations.

Mike Igbokwe (SAN)

“Indeed, as part of its statutory functions, NIMASA is to enforce and administer the provisions of the Cabotage Act 2003 and develop and implement policies and programmes which will facilitate the growth of local capacity in ownership, manning and construction of ships and other maritime infrastructure. Disbursing the CVFF is one of the ways NIMASA can fulfill this mandate.

“To assist in this task, there must be collaboration between NIMASA, financial institutions, the Minister of Transportation, as contained in the CVFF Regulations that are yet to be implemented”, the legal guru highlighted further. 

He urged the agency to create the right environment for its stakeholders to build on and engender the needed capacities to fill the gaps; and ensure that steps are being taken to solve the challenges being faced by stakeholders.

“Lastly, which is the main reason why we are all here, cessation of ministerial waivers on some cabotage requirements, which I believe is worth applause in favour of NIMASA. 

“This is because it appears that the readiness to obtain/grant waivers had made some of the vessels and their owners engaged in cabotage trade, to become complacent and indifferent in quickly ensuring that they updated their capacities, so as not to require the waivers. 

“The cessation of waivers is a way of forcing the relevant stakeholders of the maritime sector, to find workable solutions within, for maritime development and fill the gaps in the local capacities in 100% Nigerian crewing, ship ownership, and ship building, that had necessitated the existence of the waivers since about 15 years ago, when the Cabotage Act came into being. 

“However, NIMASA must ensure that the right environment is provided for its stakeholders to build and possess the needed capacities to fill the gaps; and ensure that steps are being taken to solve the challenges being faced by stakeholders. Or better still, that they are solved within the next 5 years of its intention to stop granting waivers”, he further explained. 

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Breaking News: The Funeral Rites of Matriarch C. Ogbeifun is Live

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The Burial Ceremony of Engr. Greg Ogbeifun’s mother is live. Watch on the website: www.maritimefirstnewspaper.com and on Youtube: Maritimefirst Newspaper.

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Wind Farm Vessel Collision Leaves 15 Injured

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…As Valles Steamship Orders 112,000 dwt Tanker from South Korea***

A wind farm supply vessel and a cargo ship collided in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday leaving 15 injured.

The Cyprus-flagged 80-meter general cargo ship Raba collided with Denmark-flagged 31-meter wind farm supply vessel World Bora near Rügen Island, about three nautical miles off the coast of Hamburg. 

Many of those injured were service engineers on the wind farm vessel, and 10 were seriously hurt. 

They were headed to Iberdrola’s 350MW Wikinger wind farm. Nine of the people on board the World Bora were employees of Siemens Gamesa, two were employees of Iberdrola and four were crew.

The cause of the incident is not yet known, and no pollution has been reported.

After the collision, the two ships were able to proceed to Rügen under their own power, and the injured were then taken to hospital. 

Lifeboat crews from the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service tended to them prior to their transport to hospital via ambulance and helicopter.

“Iberdrola wishes to thank the rescue services for their diligence and professionalism,” the company said in a statement.

In the meantime, the Hong Kong-based shipowner Valles Steamship has ordered a new 112,000 dwt crude oil tanker from South Korea’s Sumitomo Heavy Industries Marine & Engineering.

Sumitomo is to deliver the Aframax to Valles Steamship by the end of 2020, according to data provided by Asiasis.

The newbuild Aframax will join seven other Aframaxes in Valles Steamship’s fleet. Other ships operated by the company include Panamax bulkers and medium and long range product tankers.

The company’s most-recently delivered unit is the 114,426 dwt Aframax tanker Seagalaxy. The naming and delivery of the tanker took place in February 2019, at Namura Shipbuilding’s yard in Japan.

Maritime Executive with additional report from World Maritime News

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