• Vessel Owner Denies Complicity

In furtherance of its avowed respect for constituted authorities, the Nigerian Navy has released an arrested vessel to its owner, Blue Dolphin Petroleum Limited, saying this was in compliance to an order of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt.

The Commanding Officer, Forward Operating Base, Nigerian Navy, Bonny, Navy Capt. Badamasi Ishaq Yahuza, while handing over the vessel to the Chief Executive Officer of Blue Dolphin Petroleum Limited, Edward Odey in Bonny, said it was in the character of the Nigeria Navy to comply with judicial pronouncements.

The Commanding Officer, FOB, Nigerian Navy, Bonny was represented at the event by the Regulating Officer, FOB, Nigerian Navy, Bonny, Lt. Philip Ojediran.

He explained that the handover was in compliance to the order of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, which ruled that it was expedient to enable the owner of the vessel carry out necessary repairs on the vessel to avoid irreparable damage or loss.

In a statement signed by Navy Capt. Badamasi Yahuza, and exclusively made available to Kristina Reports, the Nigerian Navy disclosed that the vessel, MT LADY OCHY, was arrested in line with its maritime law enforcement efforts, December 1, 2019, for involvement in a crude oil theft scheme, stating that, at the point of arrest, the vessel was laden with about 1 million liters of suspected stolen crude oil.

It further disclosed that in line with its collaborative engagement with other regulatory authorities, the Nigerian Navy subsequently handed over the arrested vessel with her crew to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation and prosecution.

“In line with Nigerian Navy maritime law enforcement efforts, MT LADY OCHY was arrested on 1 Dec 19 for involvement in a crude oil theft scheme. At the point of arrest the vessel was laden with about 1 million liters of suspected stolen crude oil. The vessel and her crew were subsequently handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation and prosecution.

In the course of adjudication, the Federal High Court Port Harcourt directed that the vessel be released on bond to the owner for the purpose of repairs while the judicial hearing continues. This was with a view to preventing the total loss of the vessel due to the observed deteriorating state of the vessel.

The EFCC, having certified that all bond conditions for the release of the vessel was met, further liaised with the Navy for the release of the vessel. Accordingly, on 25 May 2021 MT LADY OCHY was released to its owner Blue Dolphin Petroleum Limited in line with the court order.”

The FOB Commanding Officer maintained that the Nigerian Navy will continue to strategically engage and collaborate with relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to sustain a trajectory of adherence to extant regulations, judicial pronouncements and best practices in the conduct of its operations.

“The Navy will continually strategically engage and collaborate with relevant ministries, departments and agencies to sustain a trajectory of adherence to extant regulations, judicial pronouncements and best practices in the conduct of its operation.”     

Meanwhile, Blue Dolphin Petroleum Limited has denied any complicity in the alleged crude theft charge, saying that the vessel was not in its custody as at the time of its arrested and impoundment as it was on lease to Obadon Maritime Limited, a Port Harcourt based oil and natural gas firm.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Blue Dolphin Petroleum Limited, Edward Odey, stated this in an interview with Kristina Reports shortly after the handover of the vessel by the Nigerian Navy in Bonny, stressing that his company was oblivious of the incident that led to the arrest of the vessel.

“We don’t know anything about whatever led to the impounding of the vessel. We only interfaced with the relevant agencies (Navy and EFCC) because the name of my company came out.”

“In early 2019, we purchased this vessel in 2019. A company approached us and gave us a Letter of Intent that they had a job and needed the vessel to deliver on the job and we agreed. We agreed on the price, they wrote to us and we responded.”

“The vessel was actually leased out to the company called Obadon Maritime Limited based in Port Harcourt, we are based in Lagos. They took the vessel away and then came down to Port Harcourt.”

“I think, a month or two later, before they started work, we heard that the vessel was impounded with the crew members having gunshots and wounds everywhere, according to the report they gave to us.”

He disclosed that, in line with his company’s penchant for regulatory compliance, he approached both the Nigerian Navy and the EFCC to clarify the non-involvement of the company in any illegal activity and that the vessel was not in possession of his company at the time of the arrest and detention.

“So, I had to move very quickly to the Navy to ask what happened that this is our vessel. We rented it out to company in Port Harcourt. Definitely, it was I that reached out to the Navy.”

“They said the matter had actually been handed over to the EFCC. I had to go to the EFCC too myself. So, the EFCC had to make me a witness in court against the hiring company.”  

He commended the Nigerian Navy for surmounting obvious administrative bottlenecks to ensure the handover of the vessel to place, thus saving the company the loss of the vessel which had almost deteriorated into a state of disrepair since the court dispensed with the case and ordered a handover.

“They presented the case in court and they came out. The court actually ruled that the vessel should be handed over back to me. This happened in late 2020, it has actually been lingering since due to administrative problems.

Kristina Reports was still awaiting a response to its enquiry from Obadon Maritime Limited as at the time of this publication. Incidentally, one of its Director, Abednego Oboso was also present at the handover event in Bonny.