A Federal High Court in Lagos, on Monday, discharged a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi, and one other of alleged N8.5 billion fraud.
Akpobolokemi was charged alongside a former Commander of the Joint Task Force Operation Pulo Shield, retired Maj-Gen. Emmanuel Atewe and two other staff members of the agency, Kime Engonzu and Josphine Otuaga, on 22 counts bordering on fraud.
They had each pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail by the court.
Justice Ayokunle Faji discharged and acquitted Akpobolokemi and the fourth defendant (Otuaga), while ruling on a no-case submission filed by them.
The court held that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against them.
Meanwhile, Justice Faji held that the second defendant (Atewe) and third defendant (Engunzu) had a case to answer in counts 12 to 22 of the charge.
The EFCC had arraigned the defendants on a 22-count charge bordering on conspiracy, fraudulent conversion and stealing.
After they pleaded not guilty to the charges, the commission opened its case and called a total of 11 witnesses and tendered several exhibits in support of its case.
The prosecution, subsequently, closed its case.
The defendants, however, rather than open their defence filed a no-case submission before the court, on the grounds that the EFCC had not been able to link them with the alleged offences.
Delivering his ruling on the no-case submission, Justice Faji held that none of the witnesses called by the prosecution led any evidence linking the first and fourth defendants to the offences.
The court, consequently, held that having regard to the totality of evidence led by the prosecution, no prima facie case had been established against the first and fourth defendants, warranting a defence.
The court discharged the defendants but held that the second and third defenders had a case to answer and should open their defence.
The court adjourned the case until May 6 for a continuation of trial of the other defendants.
Akpobolokemi had in a no-case submission filed by his lawyers, Dr Joseph Nwobike (SAN) and Mr Collins Ogbonna, said that the prosecution had not been able to establish any case against him
In the charge, the defendants were alleged to have committed the offence in 2014 in Lagos.
They were alleged to have conspired to fraudulently convert the aggregate sum of N8.5 billion belonging to NIMASA.
The offence contravenes the provisions of sections 15 and 18 of the Money Laundering Act 2012.

… Decries economic loss to illegal oil operations

 The Nigerian Navy has taken delivery of a state-of-technology Offshore Survey Vessel, OSV 115, designed and built by a French shipbuilding company, OCEA SA.

It is a 35m-long vessel built for scientific hydro-graphic and oceanographic missions and equipped with progressive technology, including medium or shallow water multi-beam echo sounders and other essential survey equipment.

The vessel, delivered at Apapa, Lagos, is primed to conduct in-depth surveys in shallow and medium waters.

It was delivered with comprehensive support services, including training, spare parts, tooling, and necessary documentation, ensuring seamless integration and operation within the Nigerian Navy’s fleet.

Director of Naval Information, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, stated on Saturday in Abuja that the latest addition to the Nigerian Navy fleet would operate in tandem with the OSV 190 “NNS LANA’’.

NNS LANA was also built and delivered by OCEA in 2021.

“The primary role of the new vessel is to conduct hydrographic and oceanographic surveys, supporting ongoing efforts to safeguard Nigeria’s territorial waters and optimise the current administration’s Blue Economy initiatives.

“The Nigerian Navy began local production of internationally-recognised nautical charts in 2019 and the newly-acquired OSV will further improve its hydro-graphic charting proficiency,’’ Adams-Aliu stated

In the meantime, the Navy has decried the magnitude of economic loss due to acts of illegal oil bunkering and vandalism of oil pipelines along the riverine communities of Nigeria.

The Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) SOROH, Commodore Nanmar Lakan, cried out at Okolomade Community of Abua Odual Local Government Area of Rivers during a tour of sites with newsmen on Saturday.

He said crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism should be stopped because of their negative economic impact on the nation.

“It is not good for our economy, and it is not also good for the citizens. I appeal to these undesirable elements to look for other means of survival.

“Stolen crude oil is causing problems everywhere. I assure them that my men and I will work day and night to ensure that this illegality stops,” he said.

The naval officer disclosed that his men uncovered a large illegal site with three tanks used as storage points in Okolomade community.

He said the saboteurs used the tanks as storage points for illegally refined AGO, commonly known as diesel.

According to him, the products will be handed over to the appropriate authority that will do further investigation to ensure that illegality stops in Nigeria.

He said under the mandate of both the Chief of Naval Staff and that of Operation Delta Safe, the NNS SOROH had continued to patrol areas within her operational responsibility.

“I want to assure Nigerians to see and trust us; we will ensure that this illegality stops forthwith,” he said.

The officials of the Navy arrested three persons conveying illegally refined products with tricycles along Okolomade community road.

“With what we are seeing here, we are still pleading with perpetrators to desist from it.

“I told them the last time that we are coming for them.

“I want to assure them that the long arm of the law will continue to catch up with them, so it is my candid advice that stop this environmental pollution,” he said.