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Oyo/Osun Customs Records Over N7bn In Half Year
- As EFCC grills Morufa, Obanikoro’s wife over arms cash
The Oyo/Osun Customs Command generated N7.25bn into Government coffers, between January and June 2016, in addition to stupendous seizures, which included a bullet-proof Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and bags of rice.
The Command’s Area Controller, TBM Ogunkua who disclosed this, noted also that the ban on rice movement through the land borders and the sliding economic fortunes of such major excise factories like BATN, NBL and IBL prevented the Command from generating higher yield.
“The Oyo/ Osun Command generated a total of N7,245,680,587.69 in the first half of the year 2016. This when compared to a revenue figure of N7,591,511,577.50 made within the same period in 2015 shows a decrease of N345,830,989.81 in revenue generated.
” Some of the factors which might have led to this shortfall in revenue generation in 2016 include such Government fiscal policies as the high exchange rate, the ban on importation of rice through the border areas, general economic downturn which led to low sales on the part of the major excise factories within the Command (BATN/NBL/IBL) and general insecurity in the country”, Ogunkua explained.
Providing a breakdown, the Customs Area Controller (CAC) stated that Command generated N933m in January ; N1.02bn in February ; N1.3bn in March; N1.4bn in April; N1.24bn in May and N1.4bn in June, 2016.
Ogunkua remarked that a total of 119 seizures with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N240,317,865.08 was recorded in January with some of the strategic seizures being 226 packages of Indian hemp ; 3,948 bags of 50kgs rice with a DPV of over N32m; 65 assorted used vehicles and 66 cartons of frozen poultry with DPV of N548,262.
A further peep into the seizures also showed general goods, impounded trucks, comprising of DAF, Scania, M.A.N and Mercedes Benz trucks; Urvan buses, several Nissan Micra ; Lexus, Mazda, Venza and the Honda categories.
He concluded, warning smugglers to either take to legitimate trades or risk forfeiting their capital to Government, even as he assured that the “Command looks forward to unprecedented performance in the second half of the year”, as there is now intensified efforts in the areas of strategies and diversification in intelligence gathering, utilization and applications of diplomacy in anti smuggling warfare.
In the meantime, the Department of State Services has arrested Alhaja Moroophat Onikoro, the wife of a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, who has been in the United States since June, 2015.
It was learnt that the suspect was arrested in front of her husband’s house located on Layi Ajayi-Bembe Street, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos on Thursday.
She was arrested in connection with the N4.7bn allegedly diverted from the Office of the National Security Adviser.
The source said, “We arrested Alhaja Onikoro this morning. Although she bears Onikoro, she is the wife of Obanikoro. She was arrested with some vital documents. She is currently in our office in Shangisha, Lagos, and will later be transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for more investigation.”
It was learnt that after interrogation at the EFCC office in Ikoyi, Lagos on Thursday, she was allowed to go home on condition that she would return on Friday (today).
“We released her after interrogation. The woman cooperated fully with us and we allowed her to go because we don’t hold people hostage. We asked her questions and she answered respectfully,” a source in the EFCC stated.
EFCC had, last month, raided the ex-minister’s house and made away with some documents said to have linked Obanikoro to the N4.7bn allegedly siphoned from the Office of the National Security Adviser.
The EFCC had also sealed a house belonging to Obanikoro’s two sons, Babajide and Gbolahan, on Banana Island.
Obanikoro’s wife, who was in the house at the time of the search, alleged that her rights were abused and had even sued the EFCC for N100m.
“When she sued the EFCC, she thought that would be the end of the matter. Unknown to her, we kept surveillance on the house and swiftly arrested her with the evidence we needed,” a source said.
EFCC investigations had revealed that N4.7bn was paid into a bank account of Sylvan McNamara, a company in which Obanikoro’s two sons are said to be directors.
About N1.219bn was allegedly flown to Akure on a private plane during the build-up to the 2014 Ekiti State governorship election, which was won by Governor Ayodele Fayose.
Fayose was alleged to have received the N1.219bn through his bosom friend, Abiodun Agbele, while the then governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, allegedly received N1.310bn through company accounts said to belong to him.
Omisore had since been arrested by the EFCC and is reported to be cooperating with detectives.
Obanikoro, who has been in the United States with his two sons for over 15 months, denied the allegations, insisting that the EFCC was concocting evidence against him and his family.
He had also dared the commission to extradite him if it had evidence against him.
The EFCC, however, said it was in possession of a CCTV footage which captured Obanikoro and three others loading the billions of naira unto a plane at the Lagos airport in 2014.
“Let Obanikoro keep making noise in the US instead of him to be a man and come and defend himself like others. He has finished his academic programme in the US since April but has refused to return to Nigeria because he knows he is guilty.
“Obanikoro has put his family in trouble by using his sons to launder money. In this age of BVN (Bank Verification Number), it is difficult to get away with bank fraud,” a reliable source said.
Meanwhile, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Apo, Abuja, will today hear a N500m suit filed by Abiodun Agbele, an ally of Fayose, seeking an order releasing him from the custody of the EFCC.
Agbele was reportedly arrested on June 27 for his role in the handling of over N1.219bn on behalf of Fayose during the Ekiti State governorship election in 2014.
The money was said to have been part of the N4.7bn that was siphoned from the imprest account of the ONSA and deposited in the company accounts of Obanikoro’s sons.
In the suit filed on his behalf by his lawyers – Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and Olalekan Ojo –Agbele urged the court to declare his arrest and detention as unlawful and award N500m as compensatory damages against the EFCC for his unlawful arrest and detention.
Agbele argued, in the fundamental rights enforcement suit, that his arrest and continued detention beyond the 48 hours allowed by the Constitution, amounted to a violation of his rights to freedom of liberty, human dignity and the right to acquire and own properties.
He said unless and except the court came to his rescue, the EFCC would continue to infringe on his rights to freedom of liberty.
At the hearing of the case on Thursday, EFCC’s counsel, Raymond Ezekiel, urged the court to adjourn hearing in the suit till Friday to enable him to file his counter-affidavit to the suit.
Ezekiel said the case file was only handed over to him on Wednesday, and as such, needed time to respond to the constitutional issues raised by the applicant in the suit.
Ozekhome had opposed an adjournment, arguing that the suit, being a fundamental rights enforcement suit, required prompt hearing.
But he later agreed that the respondent’s counsel be allowed time to respond.
Justice Adeniyi subsequently fixed Friday for hearing in the suit.
Additional report from Punch

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

…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.

“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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Wind Farm Vessel Collision Leaves 15 Injured

…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