EFCC Press Release: Court Orders Evacuation of Bunkered Vessels

By Wilson Uwujaren Ag. Head, Media & Publicity Unit

A Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa,  Bayelsa state,  has ordered Fenix Impex Nigeria Limited, operator of  MT HOPE and MT BESKID, two vessels confiscated by the Nigerian Navy over allegations of illegal oil bunkering,  to evacuate petroleum products contained in the two vessels.  The order was conveyed by officials of  the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to representatives of the company at the Navy Office complex in Yenogoa,  Bayelsa State .

Crew members on board the vessels had earlier been  arrested and charged to court.  

 While presenting the order to the Chairman of Fenix Impex Nigeria Limited, Mr. Jaret Tenede, the Flag Officer Commanding ( FOC), Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral J. O. Olatoyin, urged all parties involved in the case to  be present during the evacuation process, so as to ensure that the excercise is carried out as contained in the court order. Also present at the occasion were the managing director of  Fenix  Impex Nigeria Limited, Mr. Collins Inebe, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

 It would be recalled that one of the vessels: MT HOPE and the crew members were arrested on April 29th ,  2008, along Chanomi Creek near Escravos in Delta State, for illegally carrying  4,000 metric tones of petroleum products  suspected to be illegally bunkered. The crew members were arraigned in court and convicted on  April 30th, 2012, and sentenced to eight years imprisonment by Justice Mohammed Idris of  the Federal High Court, Benin, Edo State.  

The case involving the second vessel: MT BESKID is still running in court.