The Nigerian Navy has described allegations that the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla accepted over $170 million in bribes, involvement in multi-billion naira contract splitting fraud in the last 6 months as untenable, baseless and untrue.
While debunking what it tagged as 'unfounded, baseless and malicious publication by Peoples Gazette' the Naval Headquarters in a statement by its Director of Information, Rear Admiral AO Ayo-Vaughan said the online publisher is reputed for blackmail, character assassination and libel.
According to the statement, the Nigerian Navy has become one of the publishers recurring target as it had in June 2023, in a similar malicious article alleged that the immediate past Navy Chief did not want to hand over.
The latest being originated by the publisher is a false report it tagged, “Naval Chief Emmanuel Ogalla lands in trouble over multibillion naira oil bunkering, contract-splitting fraud.”
Tje Nigerian Navy while clarifying the issue said it has clear procedural requirements in the arrest, detention and release of any vessel or persons found culpable in the maritime environment. It is until the processes are duly concluded that such vessels are released to appropriate prosecuting agencies for further actions.
All arrested vessels made reference to in the publication that were involved in crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering are being investigated and none of such vessels has been released as alleged.
The Naval Headquarters further clarified that the Chief of Naval Staff does not award or oversee oil bunkering contracts; the award of such is the sole prerogative of NNPCL.
The statement further said all contracts awarded by the Navy follow due process in line with the laws of the Federation. The Nigerian Navy (NN) established that her roles is an offshoot of the constitutional provisions and duly guided by extant lawsp and regulations of the land
Therefore policing roles of the Navy empowered her to monitor the maritime domain of the Nation and these among others include arrest of vessels that contravene any of the maritime laws and SPOMO Act 2019.
The Service says it is aware of the coordinated frantic efforts to blackmail the office and person of the CNS by some disgruntled elements who are feeling the heat of the Nigerian Navy’s renewed vigour to fight crude oil theft and illegalities in the maritime domain as well as those who have in one way of the order shortchanged the Navy before now.
The continuous rejuvenated operations towards curbing oil theft has specifically given the oil thieves sleepless nights hence the decision to engage in the malicious publications. It would be recalled that the Nigerian Navy recently launched OPERATION DELTA SANITY which provided for a holistic, more robust roadmap towards the reinvigorated stance of the Nigerian Navy towards the fight against crude oil theft and other forms of illegalities in the Nation’s maritime environment.
The Navy said it is not unaware of these antics, considering its current resolve to engage oil thieves head on. The cartel therfore believed no individual could confront its ranks. The recent achievements of the Nigerian Navy have put them on their heels hence the resort to cheap blackmail through immoral and compromised online media publishers.
The serviceade it clear that it will continue to ensure legitimate businesses in the maritime domain thrive seamlessly and all distractions will in no way retract its resolve to confront the criminals who must be brought to justice for Nigeria’s economy to rebound.
The service stressed that the security and economy of the Nation is greater than any group of persons that think they must continue to drain the country.
It therfore enjoined members of the public to discountenance completely the malicious publication that emanated from Peoples Gazette because it is totally untrue and completely baseless being a figment of the shallow imagination of the writer, his publishers, and their unpatriotic sponsors.
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