IG secures forfeiture of arrested oil vessels
The office of the Inspector General of Police has secured the forfeiture of two multi-million naira vessels, MT Harbour Spirit and MT Kali, which were arrested for illegal oil bunkering.
In January, MT Kali vessel was arrested with 20 crew and accomplices from the communities while siphoning illegal crude oil in Bayelsa State.
The combined team of Tantita operatives and the Navy arrested the MT Harbor Spirit on February 4th, 2024 while the arrest of MT Kali was ongoing.
The IGP’s office obtained the forfeiture order from the Federal High Court and also ordered the forfeiture of the contents of MT Kali and MT Harbor Spirit to the Federal Government.
According to a statement on Friday, the IGP’s office has arraigned the crew members of the vessels.
In the case filed by the IGP, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, Justice Abdulmalik granted the motion for the interim forfeiture of MT Kali and her content to the government.
Justice J. K. Omotosho, ruled that the FG should hold the MT Harbour and Spirit and its content for six to await when anybody would show why the forfeiture should not be made permanent.
The judge also ordered the sale of the stolen crude oil contained in the impounded ocean-going vessel by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
The Justice further directed that the proceeds from the sale be deposited by NNPCL in an interest-yielding account to be determined by the Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court.
