The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned a vessel, MT Ostria, and three individuals before the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, over allegations of petroleum theft involving more than 25 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) belonging to NNPC Retail Limited.
The defendants, Captain Raymundo A. Panaligam, Chief Officer Roneno Villarin, and Mr. Vincent Wayas, were charged alongside the vessel on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing.
According to the charge, the defendants conspired to steal More than Twenty Five Million litres of Premium Motor Spirit, 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.
All defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge which warrant the prosecuting counsel, Bilikisu Buhari, praying the court to set a trial date and remand the defendants in a correctional facility.
She equally prayed the court not to grant them bail on the ground that the applicants are a flight risk, that they had nothing to lose if they jump bail or abscond from trial.
However, 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.
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Justice Mojisola Dada ruled that the defendants should continue on the existing EFCC bail conditions and subsequently adjourned the case to November 17 and 27, 2025, for the commencement of trial.
