AFR Business

Asari Dokubo, a Niger Delta activist, on Friday, said few powerful Nigerians and military personnel are behind oil theft in the Niger Delta region of the country.

“We know that oil theft is an organised racket by some powerful people, including military personnel who give directives from Abuja. We have been saying this a long time ago and many Nigerians do not understand the politics in oil theft.

“I told the president that we know the people involved in this theft. Here was a crime being conducted within metres away from security posts of personnel sent to guard these oil installations.

“These security agents were able to intimidate other legally-recognised agencies mandated to guard these installations. We need to speak out against these elements and stop the bleeding of the economy,” he said.

He said this when he visited President Bola Tinubu on Friday in Abuja.

Mr Dokubo said that the resources in the region was being hijacked by few Nigerians and their cohorts against the greatest interest of the citizens.

He said Niger Delta activists would ensure that the wealth of the people was used judiciously for the common good of the region and its people.

Mr Dokubo said that he had extensive discussion with the president, and assured that very soon the bad eggs in the system would be flushed out to give way for sanity in the Niger Delta region.

He said that the nation should not be held hostage again by a few individuals and groups who have no interest in the development of the Niger Delta and Nigeria generally.

“I will work with all stakeholders to see that oil theft is brought to zero level and also fight other crimes against the wellbeing of the economy of the country in the region,” Mr Dokubo vowed.

The Nigerian Navy has described as spurious, the allegations by ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo, that some cabals in the military are involved in oil theft in the region.

Mr Dokubo made the claims when he visited President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Friday.

Reacting to the accusation, naval spokesman, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, challenged Mr Dokubo to produce evidence and names of those behind the criminality.

Mr Ayo-Vaughan spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.

He said the Nigerian military, and the navy in particular, had been at the forefront of fighting crude oil theft at all levels in the country.

He said that while crude oil being stolen from pipelines were being refined in the creeks for the local market and the local buyers, it was also being stolen by criminals from offshore at sea.

“You remember the case of MT HEROIC IDUN that was made to pay fines to the Nigerian government after they were arrested and brought back from Guinea Bissau, Malabo Island and made to face court orders.

“It demonstrated the will of the Navy to go as far as even beyond our waters to arrest a ship that attempted to load without licence, without due approval in April last year.

“I was there physically on board one of our ships at FOT in Onne when the navy launched Operation Dakatarda Barawo, which means stop the thief in Hausa language.

“Stop the thief that is stealing the nation’s natural resources, the hydrocarbons.

“Nigerian Navy has been fighting crude oil theft, taking the fight to the creeks and as I speak to you, our men are battling in the creeks.

“So, what I will just say is, Asari Dokubo is seeking some form of relevance and whatever.

“He alleges that there is a cabal of military people that are involved in crude oil theft, let him bring the names.

“Nobody is afraid of getting the names of those involved in crude oil theft.

“You cannot make such spurious allegations and think that we will just sweep it down the carpet,” he said.

Mr Ayo-Vaughan said neither the Chief of Defence Staff nor the Chief of Naval Staff will condone such acts.

According to him, the Nigerian Navy will not be distracted by the allegations and will continue to be actively involved in the fight against crude oil theft and resources in the Niger Delta.

“So for anybody to say that there is a cabal of military officers, the only simple thing to do is bring the evidence, bring the names,” he stressed.

The navy spokesman said that the efforts of the Nigerian military in the Niger Delta was the reason Nigeria regained top spot in oil production in the month of May among oil producing countries in Africa, as confirmed by OPEC, NUPRC and others.

The Labour Party in Enugu State says it will call 36 witnesses to testify against Peter Mbah of the People Democratic Party (PDP) at the Governorship Election Tribunal over alleged certificate forgery.

The Tribunal is hearing the petition filed by Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party against Mr Mbah of the PDP.

Mr Edeoga is praying the tribunal to disqualify Mr Mbah over the alleged NYSC certificate forgery.

Speaking to the tribunal on Thursday in Enugu, M. J. Numa, counsel to Mr Edeoga said that they intended calling 28 witnesses in a whole within their control and eight subpoenaed witnesses.

Mr Numa said that they would require a period of five weeks to call the witnesses and had agreed that the witnesses within their control would need 15 minutes for cross examination.

He added that they had taken care of the interpreter as they would schedule for the process prepared.

Responding, counsel to Mr Mbah and the PDP, Wole Olanipekun and Tochukwu Maduka respectively maintained that the FCT High Court had resolved the issue of alleged certificate forgery as there was a leave of appeal and that section 177 and 182 of the constitution had settled the matter.

Mr Numa said that there was no record of any appeal on such subject matter, adding that the court could not speculate the existence of an appeal.

He said that the tribunal had the competent jurisdiction for the matter and pleaded the court indulgence to strike out the objection.

“177 and 182 of the constitution are mutually exclusive, 182 has elaboration than 177, so they are two separate provisions that stand on their own. I, therefore, invite your Lordship to decline those invitations,” he said.

The counsel to Mr Mbah said that they would be calling 44 witnesses, adding that they required 25 days to call all their witnesses and 15 minutes for cross examination.

He said that the petition on the ground that the second respondent was not qualified due to alleged certificate forgery was not a petition before the tribunal, noting that the tribunal had no jurisdiction over the matter.

Also, counsel to the PDP, Mr Maduka stressed that there was leave of application on the alleged certificate forgery.

He added that the tribunal was not to determine whether the FCT High Court has jurisdiction or not.

He said that the PDP intended to bring 54 witnesses which would include subpoenaed witnesses and forensic experts.

The chairman of the tribunal, Justice K. M Akano, said that ruling on the alleged forgery would be delivered alongside the judgement.

The chairman however, adjourned the case to June 22 for continuation of hearing.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thursday, detained Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) Receiver Manager, Kamilu Omokide over alleged financial impropriety, asset stripping and other underhand dealings.

BN AFRICA understands that the Receiver Manager was detained for questioning after he finally responded to the EFCC’s invitation.

EFCC started investigating the Receiver/Manager following a recent petition written by Femi Falana SAN, who is Arik Nigeria Limited’s lawyer.

Also detained along with Omokide was Captain Samuel Caulcrick, in connection with the alleged illegal sale and tear down of $41 million CRJ 1000 aircraft, which was operated by Arik Air.

On his own part, Omokide was invited in connection with the tear down of the aircraft which he claimed the aircraft’s new owners, Alberta Aviation Capital (AAC), gave authorisation to that effect.

Falana in his petition dated April 27, alleged massive financial fraud and sale of assets reaching over N120 billion.

The petition in part read, “We are Solicitors to Arik Nigeria Limited (hereinafter referred to as “our client”), on whose behalf and specific instructions we write you. Our client operates an airline in the aviation industry by offering air transportation services for passengers and cargo in Nigeria and has been in business since 2006.

“In compliance with an ex parte Order of the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) appointed a receiver manager to manage our client’s assets due to its financial obligation to some banks.

“Pursuant to the said ex parte order, the said receiver manager has been overseeing the affairs of our client’s assets pursuant from 2017 to date. In the course of running the airline business, the receiver has engaged in financial mismanagement, diversion of monies, sales of assets and misappropriation of funds belonging to Arik Airline.

“The details of the financial management, diversion of monies, sale of assets and misappropriation of fund are set out below: 1. Fraudulent contracts awarded: a. Aircraft lease Agreement No. OLY-ARIK/ACMI/A321/202001-21 between Olympus and Arik Air-In-Receivership, executed on November 1, 2019 with the following details:

“Listed Lease Contracted Aircraft: A321 MSN1015 Reg# SX-ACP; Listed Contracted aircraft delivery date: 01 Feb 2020 and for consideration of the sum of N91,187,500.00 (Ninety-One Million, One Hundred and Eighty-Seven Thousand Five Hundred Naira) withdrawn from our client’s (USD) account domiciled at Keystone Bank with account No: 1006835708 on February 11, 2020. There has been no specific performance to the subject matter of the said contract up till date, no service has been carried out, nor was there aircraft or a refund of the consideration furnished for the said contract.

“A. Clobek Nigeria Limited with Company’s Registration No. 899094, a real estate firm with its registered office at Abuja purportedly entered into ACMI damp Lease Agreement with Arik Air-In-Receivership in a profit-sharing ratio of Arik 55% and 45% respectively, for one Unit aircraft B737-700 MSN 38127 (E1-GVW). However, Clobek Nigeria Limited, is neither registered nor licenced as an aviation services company by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), thereby unauthorised and ineligible to provide aviation services.

“The said company received questionable payments of N579,902,982.58 for flight operations services from Arik Air-In-Receivership. The Receiver Manager abandoned the several younger Arik Air new-generation aircraft for self-gratifying lease deals and a dubious profit-sharing arrangement. A. The receiver manager executed Aircraft Damp [A.C.M.I.J Lease Agreement with Eznis Airways LCC, a Mongolian registered airline lease of one unit Boeing 737-700 Reg No E1 – Engines (the same aircraft purportedly financed by Clobek Nigeria Limited in a profit-sharing arrangement. Some records of payments for Arik Air in Receivership to Eznis are questionable, e.g., multiple security deposits, maintenance, hotel accommodation etc for being duplicated to Clobek and conflicting with aircraft usage.

“Galactic Aviation, a Nigerian company purportedly leased 2 units of A320 aircraft A320 MSN 2388 with Registration No. LY-NZL and LY-CCK. The aircraft Reg No LY-NZL operated between April 2022 to Jan 2023 and the other aircraft Reg No: LY-CCK operated between Dec 2022 to March 2023 payments of about N4.3B were released to Galactic Aviation without records of reconciliation of accounts between flights operations and revenue management to determine equitable distribution.

“Israeli Aerospace received from Arik Air in Receivership payments of over N1.IB especially the sum of N309,500,000 for the repair of aircraft Engine R1505522 since 2018, whereas the purported engine has not been returned to base or released back into operation. This is in addition to another dubious payment for aircraft maintenance in the sum of N71,079,250.00.

“John T Aviation Solutions, a registered Nigerian company and consultancy but not a registered/certified engine service facility by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority. (NCAA). John T Solutions received payments of about N507,000,000 (Five Hundred and Seven Million Naira) purportedly expended for engines rental. These payments are questionable and not aligned with service consultancy.

“Global Engines sample payments reveal receipts of over N1.7B without verifiable contracts with suspected payment duplications for engines and also GEM- General Engine Maintenance sample payments reveal receipts of about N464,817,248.66 without verifiable contracts.

“Sale And Teardown Of Aircrafts – Sale and Teardown of CRJ900 MSN. 15058 with registration number, 5N-JEA. The last known location of the aircraft was, AlK Hangar Lagos. The value of the said aircraft is estimated at 31,000,000.00 USD, which was destroyed and sold without owner’s (JEM Aviation, UK) consent and regulatory approval.

“Sale and Teardown of aircraft B737-700 MSN 23640 with Registration Number 5N- MJI, the aircraft was estimated at 47,000,000.00(USD) (Forty-Seven Million U.S Dollars) was destroyed and sold without owner’s consent and regulatory approval“In the light of the foregoing, it is very correct to conclude that the receiver manager is duty bound to render account of his stewardship including but not limited to filing the statutory annual returns of the company at the Corporate Affairs Commission but has blatantly refused and/or neglected to fulfill his obligations by not filling the annual returns for the period of six (6) years of its operations.

“We have the firm instructions of our client to request you to embark on a full investigation of the criminal diversion of the sum N120,000,000,000.00 (One Hundred Twenty Billion Naira) and other financial improprieties arising from fraud, financial mismanagement and misappropriation of funds from the management of Arik Nigeria Limited Assets by the official receiver manager and his cohorts.