Navy Urges Judicial Reforms For Speedy Trial Of Crude Oil Theft Cases

The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Chiedozie Okehie, has called for judicial reforms to accelerate the prosecution of vessels and suspects arrested for crude oil theft.

He said prolonged trials are undermining the Nigerian Navy’s efforts.

Okehie made the request yesterday in Calabar after the command paraded a foreign-flagged vessel, “MT Filia”, arrested for alleged crude oil theft in one of the offshores oil terminals, with 12 Nigerian crew members on board.

He said the Navy had recorded major successes under the Chief of Naval Staff’s “Operation Delta Sentinel” but lamented that delayed prosecution remains its biggest challenge.

“There is one thing to launch an operation and another thing to implement it. What we have today is the strategic, operational and tactical will to ensure the success of ‘Operation Delta Sentinel’,” he said.

The FOC commended officers and men of the command for their integrity and resilience, describing crude oil theft as “an ecosystem involving many players.”

He added, “Our men have shown a sense of purpose, integrity and transparency. We are deploying intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, alongside available platforms, to arrest those involved.”

He decried the long stay of seized vessels in custody due to slow court processes, revealing that a vessel arrested since 2022 is still undergoing trial.

“The prolonged judicial process places enormous administrative and financial burdens on the Navy because we are responsible for maintaining these vessels while the cases continue.

We need a faster legal process,” he said.

Okehie also clarified the difference between piracy and sea robbery, stating that Nigeria has not recorded piracy for several years.

On MT Filia, he noted: “The vessel is foreign-flagged but crewed by Nigerians, demonstrating the reach of these criminal networks,” and assured that the Navy will sustain its offensive to secure the nation’s maritime domain.