Navy Illegally Holding 67 People Incommunicado for over 2 Years- Falana

Femi Falana

When Mr Femi Falana alerted Nigerians last month that the Nigerian Navy  was detaining 10 people, the authorities claimed that it was not true. Since then, he revealed that he had received Save Our Soul (SOS) messages from scores of other detainees  held in various naval detention facilities in Lagos, Abuja, Warri, Port Harcourt, Calabar etc. 

He added: “I have just confirmed that 67 people are being held at  NNS Beecroft detention centre at Apapa. Some of the detainees have been incarcerated incommunicado for over two years. This is totally unacceptable in a democracy. Please demand that the detainees be released or arraigned in court without any further delay.”

Mr Falana revealed further that he had also confirmed that no “suspect has been transferred to the EFCC contrary to the claim of the Nigerian Navy.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Navy, according to NAN, said it had handed over 32 suspects with illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil, AGO, to the Area Commander, Nigerian Police, Okitipupa.

Sabo Lengaya, the Commanding Officer Forward Operating Base, Igbokoda, disclosed this in a statement in Lagos on Monday.

Mr Lengaya, a Navy Captain, said that the Navy also handed over 30 litres of 370 jerrycans loaded with AGO, N1,199,000 cash, 13 vehicles and mobile phones recovered from the suspects.

“Our men while on patrol intercepted some convoy vehicles along Igbokoda-Okitipupa Road in Ondo State.

“In the course of searching the vehicles, it was discovered that some of the vehicles were carrying illegally refined AGO.

“Further investigation revealed that the products were brought from the creeks by boats and loaded at Ugbonla Jetty and the vehicles with the empty jerrycans were also going to the jetty to load.

“Efforts to arrest the suspects proved abortive as the suspects fled upon sighting the naval men in the area,” he said.

The commanding officer, however, said that the product lacked documentation with regards to its source and approval.

“Physical examination showed that the product was illegally refined AGO and facts on ground showed that the suspects were not licensed to deal in petroleum product,” he said.