Nigerian Navy Calls for Identification Recovered Metal Barge MV JOSH 1,Wooden Boat

Oru Leonard

The Nigerian Navy has called on the general public to come forward for the identification of a metal Barge MV JOSH 1 and a wooden boat that was recovered along Bolo Creek.

According to a press release made available to the NewsDot Africa correspondent, the Nigerian Navy Information Unit said that the barge and wooden boat which were recovered on Tuesday, 29 January 2019, were loaded with an estimated 900,000 litres of a substance suspected to be stolen crude oil and 2,500 litres of product suspected to be illegally refined AGO.

“There were no suspects onboard 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, owners of the vessels are to note that “In the event of failure to reclaim seized and detained vessels by its owner 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”.

The Nigerian Navy said the Barge and wooden boat will be 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 EFCC to obtain forfeiture order in accordance with the law in the absence of any claim of its ownership.

Owners of the vessels were advised to visit the command for identification and reclaiming ownership of the vessels, failing within the stipulated period tge vessels will be will be handed over to the EFCC to obtain forfeiture order.