The Nigerian Navy has handed over 15 expatriates and a vessel to the police in Port Harcourt and Bonny Island for loitering on Nigeria's waterways. The handover was conducted by Commodore Oyetunji Fadeyi, Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at the weekend.
Arrest and Resistance
The suspects, comprising nine Filipinos and six Romanians, were arrested aboard the vessel MT ST Vanessa on June 19, 2012, by operatives of NNS Zaria at 45 nautical miles off Akassa in Bayelsa State. According to Commodore Fadeyi, prior to the arrest, attempts by officials of the NNS Zaria to interrogate persons aboard the vessel were resisted.
The vessel, a motor tanker registered in Belgium, belongs to Sea Tankers Shipping (SAS) of Parc Innolin-7 Rue Du Golf 33 700 Merinac, France. Fadeyi explained that to enforce the arrest, the Navy personnel had to employ force.
He said: “In a bid to enforce arrest, men of NNS, Zaria, had to employ the use of force on MT ST Vanessa. Many shots were fired across the bow of the vessel to stop it from escaping.”
Investigation Findings
MT ST Vanessa was eventually arrested and handed over to the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Bonny, for investigation into its suspicious activities around Akassa area, which is within Nigeria's exclusive economic zone. Investigations revealed that the vessel's last port of call was Lome, Togo, and since its arrival on Nigerian waters, it had been loitering around Akassa-Brass for about two weeks without a clear and specific mission.
The captain of the vessel claimed that he was directed by the owner to stay around Akassa and await further directives. However, Commodore Fadeyi noted that Akassa is notorious for crude oil theft and other economic sabotage. The crew stated during investigation that they chose to alter course and steer seaward because they thought the vessel was under attack by pirates, but Fadeyi dismissed this excuse as not tenable.
Pressure and Handover
It was learnt that there has been pressure on the Navy from prominent persons for the vessel's release. Despite this, the Navy proceeded with the handover of the 15 expatriates and the vessel to the police in Port Harcourt and Bonny Island for further action.
