Oil Theft: Nigeria arraigns  26-man crew of rogue vessel in court

*The Ministry of Defence, prosecuting the oil theft suspects on behalf of the Federal Government, arraigns the crew on a three-count charge bordering on false pretence, attempted crude oil theft, and piracy among others at the Federal High Court, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Sequel to their alleged illegal crude oil theft,  exports, and attendant economic sabotage to the country’s economy, the Federal Government has scored a major point with the arrest, repatriation, and arraignment of the Very Large Crude Carrier, (VLCC) MT Heroic Idun suspected of being involved in the illicit activity.

The Nigerian Government arraigned the oil theft suspects at the Federal High Court, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital Monday, November 14, 2022.

The authorities earlier, had arrested the ship’s 26-man crew, comprising Indian, Sri Lankan, Filipino, Brazilian and Polish nationals.

Prosecuting on behalf of the Federal Government, the Ministry of Defence arraigned the crew on a three-count charge bordering on false pretence, attempted crude oil theft, and piracy among others.

Pleading his innocence to journalists, Tanuj Mehta, Captain of the vessel, who is an Indian national, claimed he and his crew were merely following his superiors’ orders even as he refers to his vessel’s encounter with the Nigerian Navy as a misunderstanding, Channels TV report said.

Sixteen of the crew members were present in court Monday, while10 were left aboard the vessel, which is anchored off the coast of Bonny Island, in Rivers State.

Putting in appearances were, Udoka Ezeobi for the defendants and Adewumi Aluko for the prosecution.

It was learnt trial Judge Turaki Mohammed ordered that they be remanded in the custody of the Navy aboard the vessel before adjourning the case to Tuesday, November 15, 2022, to enable the other 10 members have their pleas taken.

Measuring 336m in length and 60m in width, the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), which is the size of three standard football fields was initially accosted within the Akpo offshore oil fields in the early hours of August 8 this year, and despite several attempts to arrest, it somehow escaped into the open ocean where she was intercepted and seized by the authorities of the Equatorial Guinea, report noted.

However, following months of intense bilateral diplomatic negotiations, the vessel was finally repatriated to Nigeria where investigations are on to uncover the circumstances surrounding her involvement in the alleged oil theft.