RismadarVoice Reporters, April 14, 2026
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday continued its prosecution in the alleged theft of 25,354,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Retail Limited, as the second prosecution witness testified before the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
The defendants in the case the vessel MT Ostria, its captain, Raymundo A. Panaligam, Chief Officer Roneno Villarin, and Vincent Wayas are standing trial before Justice Mojisola Dada on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing, offences contrary to Sections 411 and 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
They were arraigned by the anti-graft agency on October 29, 2025.
At the resumed hearing, the second prosecution witness (PW2), a representative of NNPC, gave detailed testimony on the commercial and operational processes surrounding the disputed cargo and the circumstances that triggered regulatory and security alerts.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel Bilikisu Buhari, the witness explained that concerns arose during discharge operations when D. Torros Shipping Limited, the receiving terminal, ordered a suspension due to discrepancies in reported volumes.
He told the court that the suspension was linked to differences between the vessel’s discharge figures and the quantities recorded by the terminal.
“From an operational standpoint, the delay raised concerns about additional costs. We were informed by Torros that the suspension followed variations between the ship’s figures and their received measurements,” he said.
According to him, the discrepancy prompted Torros Shipping to notify the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), which subsequently escalated the matter to relevant security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS) and the EFCC.
The witness further confirmed that he was invited by the EFCC, where he provided a statement and submitted relevant operational documents connected to the transaction.
“I was interviewed by the EFCC and I provided my statement regarding the operation. We also submitted documents relating to the shipment,” he told the court.
He also confirmed that the documents presented were generated using official company systems, including a laptop and printer in good working condition at the time.
During proceedings, the prosecution tendered several documents, which were admitted in evidence by the court.
Explaining the structure of transactions within the NNPC system, the witness said operations involving NNPC Retail, NNPC Trading, and NNPC Shipping are governed by an internal commercial framework.
He identified NNPC Retail Limited as the ultimate owner of the petroleum product in question, as reflected in one of the exhibits tendered before the court.
The document, a Credit Sales Invoice, reportedly covered about 20.3 million litres of PMS and was linked to the vessel MT Ostria, nominated for lifting from the mother vessel MT Northern Light.
According to him, the invoice formed part of the structured procurement process, which involves generating quotations through an internal portal and assigning Pro Forma Invoice (PFI) numbers to transactions.
He added that the documentation outlined the commercial chain of custody for the product and established NNPC Retail Limited as the buyer under the contractual arrangement.
After listening to the testimony, Justice Mojisola Dada adjourned the matter to April 15, 2026, for continuation of cross-examination.
