The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has secured an interim order from the Court to sell the vessel named MV Flora and the 10,000 litres of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) stored inside the vessel to the Federal Government in line with Section 263(11) of the Criminal Procedure Act.
The court order therefore directed the corps to auction the seized items upon advertisement in the national dailies.
Similarly, the court has granted an order directing the corps to sell vessel “MT Tora Eagle” and 3,600 drums of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) stored therein, as well as a Truck and 10 drums of stolen crude.
The corps before now embarked on a tour of the various sites of seized items across the federation with the Committee on Forfeited Items set up by the former Attorney General of the Federation, Muhammed Adoke , to ascertain the conditions of the items.
The Commandant General of the NSCDC, Abdullahi Gana Muhammadu, who made these declarations, stated that over 40 suspects have been prosecuted and convicted in Delta and Bayelsa States respectively for vandalism, oil theft and operation of illegal refineries.
A statement by the NSCDC spokesman, Emmanuel Okeh, said the corps would pursue its mandate in ensuring that vandalism, in whatever form, is stamped out.
He commended the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, for the support the corps is receiving from him and his personnel.
Gana maintained that the number of suspects prosecuted and vessels handed over to the corps by the Naval team after the arrests, indicates the level of partnership in fighting crimes. He therefore called on other stakeholders to emulate the Nigeria Navy in its cooperation with the NSCDC.
By Pita Ochai