An indigenous ship owner accuses Navy of plan to auction his detained vessel

FUNSO OLOJO

An indigenous ship owner and a member of the Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA), Mr. Osita Onumonu, has accused the Naval authority of a discreet plan to auction his brand new vessels which he said was allegedly detained  after it was attacked by pirates in 2014.

The ship owner, who recounted his pains and ordeal since the incident started, groaned that his banker, Diamond Bank, has to sell his property at Lekki to recover the loan he procured to purchase the vessel.

Osita, who is the Managing Director of Mercury Oil Limited, alleged that  his tanker vessel, MT Sapphire, has since last year been illegally detailed by the Naval authority whom he said have rebuffed all entreaties for its release.

‘’The 5,000 tonnes vessel, MT Sapphire 1 and her crew were detained shortly  after it was attacked by pirates in 2014’’ Osita claimed.

He further declared that the Togolese flagged vessel was subsequently was taken to Fomoso in Bayelsa State where it is still being held.

The NISA member explained that‎ preliminary investigations have shown that the vessel was attacked by pirates shortly after it was engaged in a Ship-to-Ship transfer operation, adding that through the AIS of the vessel, the captain was able to alert the Navy who had consequently arrested the vessel and refused to let it go.

‎”MT Sapphire 1 has been under arrest by the Nigerian Navy, I trade with the vessel and  sometimes I take products for individuals and companies including the company doing the bar beach construction”

“On one of such occasions, my company sought for a Naval clearance‎ from the Nigerian Navy for an STS off Agbara Offshore on two badges, we finished the STS and unfortunately we were attacked, in the course of the attack, we alerted the Navy, when they arrived the pirates absconded and abandoned the vessel”

“The Navy took over the vessel and did their investigation for one month. They took all my crew and put them in detention at their base. After this, they came up with their report which they sent to Abuja, after this nothing was done”

“They did not charge the crew to court but detained them for seven months. When the heat was much, they transferred the case to Nigerian Civil Defense Corps who did their findings and released my crew and the vessel”

“They wrote to the Navy to release my crew and disembark from my vessel but they refused” Osita said.

He alleged that about 1.8million diesel worth about N300million was loaded on the vessel shortly before it was arrested‎ but the Civil Defense in the investigation found out that the product has been stolen in the custody of the Navy.

Osita claimed that his bank,Diamond bank have already sold his property in Lekki in order to make for the money he owed for purchase of the vessel, as well as the purchase of the product.

Osita , who was narrating his odeal to maritime journalist in nLagos yesterday, claimed that an estimated sum of N3billion has been lost during the one year and six months that the vessel has been under arrest of the Navy.

He also said that the vessel was dragging and almost grounded before he was alerted and quickly called in divers to rescue the vessel.

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‘’I later‎ sued the Navy to court but they still refused to show up in court while my association, NISA, has been helpful in this regards.

“This is the issue we face everyday, this is what happens to every other of my colleagues and at the end of the day, they will tell you the vessel was doing illegal bunkering. Some shipowners have abandoned their ‎vessels out of frustration”

“I bought this vessel 3.1million Euros. I am wondering, I suspect that somebody has an eye on her because the vessel is new, that is how they auction so many peoples’ vessels”, the Ship owner alleged.

‎Osita also said that part of the steps he had taken on the case was to meet the former Chief of Naval Staff; Jibrin, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Justice and other series of letters to the minister among other things.

“My prayers is that my vessel should be released. I am not even talking about the product for now, I need to pay back debt I owed the bank” he pleaded.