The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Wednesday arraigned a vessel, MT Ostria for alleged petroleum theft involving over 25 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, belonging to NNPC Retail Limited.
MT Ostria and three other defendants; Captain Raymundo A. Panaligam, Chief Officer Roneno Villarin, and Mr. Vincent Wayas. were docked before Justic Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja.
They were charged to court by the Commission on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing.
When the matter was called the charge was read to the defendants and they pleaded not guilty.
The defendants were charged for alleged conspiracy to steal (Twenty Five Million, Three Hundred and Fifty Four thousand) 25,354,000 litres of PMS, offences said to be contrary to Sections 411 and 280 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, and punishable under Section 287 of the same law.
One of the counts reads: “MT Ostria, Captain Raymundo A. Panaligam, Chief Officer Roneno Villarin and Mr. Vincent Wayas sometime in January 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, conspired amongst yourselves to commit felony, to wit: stealing of Thirteen Million, Five Hundred and Fifty Four Thousand (13,354,000) litres of Premium Motor Spirit, property of NNPC Retail Limited.”
Another count reads: “MT Ostria, Captain Raymundo A. Panaligam, Chief Officer Roneno Villarin and Mr. Vincent Wayas on or about 17th January 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court dishonestly took (Nine Milllon) 9,000,000.00 litres of Premium Motor Spirit Property of NNPC Retail Limited”.
EFCC alleged that the defendants, dishonestly took 9,000,000 litres of PMS belonging to NNPC Retail Limited, while a separate count accuses them of stealing an additional 3,000,000 litres of the same product.
Upon the non-guilty plea, the Counsel to EFCC, Bilikisu Buhari-Bala prayed the court to set a trial date and remand the defendants in a correctional facility.
But the defence team informed the court that bail applications had already been filed and urged that the defendants be allowed to continue under the bail conditions earlier granted by the EFCC.
Justice Dada ruled that the defendants should continue on the existing EFCC bail conditions and subsequently adjourned the case to November 17, 27 and 28, 2025 for trial.
