The Nigerian Navy on Sunday said it recovered a metal barge, MV JOSH 1, and a wooden boat drifting with 900,000 litres of stolen crude oil and 2,500 litres of illegally refined automotive gas oil (AGO).
Navy spokesman, Commodore Suleman Dahun, said in a statement in Abuja on Sunday that the vessels were recovered on January 29, 2019 along Bolo Creek in Rivers State.
He said, ”There were no suspects on board the vessels at the time of the recovery.
”In accordance with Part 6 Paragraph 17 of the Harmonised Standard Operating Procedures on Arrest, Detention and Prosecution (HSOP-AD&P) of Vessels and Persons”, the Navy would apply the appropriate action.
“Owners of the vessels are to note that in the event of failure to reclaim seized and detained vessels for a period of 12 months, the Agency in Custody of the seized items as the case maybe, shall reserve the power to obtain an order of forfeiture and disposal from a court of competent jurisdiction.
”Accordingly, the public is hereby notified that the Nigerian Navy will keep the barge and wooden boat in its custody for a period of 6 months effective from the day of recovery.
”At the expiration of the 6 months period, it will hand over the vessels to the EFCC to obtain forfeiture order in accordance with the law in the absence of any claim of its ownership.
”Consequently, owners of the vessels are advised to come forward and reclaim the vessel, failing which it will be handed over to the EFCC to obtain forfeiture order.”
