Oil Theft: 27 Crew Members of Rogue Vessel, MT Heroic Idun, Arraigned

•Remanded on board, to be guarded by Navy, risk life imprisonment

•Foreign Affairs: India, Poland to get access to defendants

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Federal Ministry of Justice, yesterday, said the 27 crew members of rogue vessel, MT Heroic Idun, were arraigned at the Federal High Court Five, Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

The Nigerian Navy also said the vessel that attempted to load Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) at the Akpo Oil Terminal without authorisation, was in its custody even as it dismissed attempts by some interest groups to distract the prosecution of the offenders.

Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, said the Navy was served court papers by owners of the vessel and would enter an appearance.

At a media briefing held at the headquarters of the Nigerian Navy in Abuja, a senior official of the ministry, Ms Nkeiruka Jones-Nebo, said 17 crew members of the vessel were arraigned on Monday while 10 were put on trial yesterday.

“We have filed charges against the defendants. The matter is at the Federal High Court 5, Port Harcourt before Justice Turakin,” she said, noting that 17 of the 27 defendants were arraigned on Monday while 10 were arraigned yesterday.

“The federal high court, has exclusive jurisdiction over this matter. They were remanded in the vessel, onboard to be supervised by the Navy,” she said, noting that the case was adjourned till early next year, January 10.

She said stringent  stipulated sanctions for  the offence could attract life imprisonment but the court reserved the powers to determine their fate.

In his remarks, the Director, Consular Services Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Nicolas Ella, commended the Nigerian Navy for repatriating the vessel back to Nigeria from Equatorial Guinea.

He said the ministry had received a note verbale from the Embassies of India and Poland for access to the defendants, and assured the international community that consular access would be granted, using diplomatic channels.

“Nobody should bother Nigerian Navy. If you have any issues, go through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he advised.

Meanwhile, the Naval Chief, who was represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Rear Adm. Saidu Garba, listed the offences committed by the vessel to include attempt to deal in export crude oil without license or authorisation; entering a restricted zone around an oilfield without authorisation and thus violating Nigeria’s Exclusive Economic Zone regulations.

Others included falsely accusing a Nigerian Navy Ship of piracy on International Maritime reporting platforms after having communicated with the Nigerian Navy Ship without ambiguity about her identity, therefore violating sections of the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO)Act 2019.

The vessel also violated all lawful instructions at sea from Maritime Law Authorities as well as Nigeria’s Miscellaneous Act and other associated national and international laws ascribed to by Nigeria and violation of Custom and Immigration Laws as acceded by Nigeria regarding the operations of Akpo Oil Terminal being an Oil installation in the Nigerian Exclusive Economic Zone.

Gambo, therefore,  urged Nigerians and the international community to disregard the false narrative on the interception of MT HEROIC IDUN, by the Navy.