EFCC presents second witness in alleged theft of 25.3m litres of PMS
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday presented its second prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of a vessel, belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Retail Limited,
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday presented its second prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of a vessel, belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Retail Limited,
The defendants, MT Ostria, and three others are standing trial, over the alleged theft of 25,354,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), before Justice Mojisola Dada at the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos
The defendants—MT Ostria, Captain Raymundo A. Panaligam, Chief Officer Roneno Villarin, and Vincent Wayas—were arraigned by the EFCC on October 29, 2025, on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing.
The offences are said to contravene Sections 411 and 280 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, and are punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
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At the resumed hearing, the second prosecution witness (PW2), a representative of NNPC Retail Limited, testified on the transactions involving MT Ostria and the circumstances that triggered the investigation.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel Bilikisu Buhari, the witness told the court that concerns arose after D. Torros Shipping Limited, the receiving terminal, called for a suspension of discharge operations due to discrepancies in product volume.
“From our operational perspective, we were worried about any delay that could cause additional cost on the operation. We were informed by Torros that the suspension was due to variations in quantities between the ship’s discharge figure and Torros’ received figure,” he said.
The witness further stated that Torros reported the discrepancy to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), which subsequently escalated the matter to relevant agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS).
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According to him, the matter was also reported to the EFCC, which invited him for questioning. He confirmed that he provided a statement and submitted documents relating to the transaction.
The prosecution counsel, Buhari , tendered the documents, and they were admitted in evidence by the court.
Explaining the structure of transactions among NNPC subsidiaries, the witness said there exists an internal framework governing dealings between NNPC Retail, NNPC Trading Limited, and NNPC Shipping.
Referring to a Credit Sales Invoice marked as Exhibit P4, he identified NNPC Retail Limited as the ultimate owner of the allegedly stolen petroleum products.
The invoice, he said, confirmed the sale of approximately 20.3 million litres of PMS through MT Ostria, which was nominated from a mother vessel, MT Northern Light.
He noted that the document contained two Pro Forma Invoice (PFI) numbers—20001584 and 20001601—which are required to appear on all related commercial documents.
“These documents establish the commercial chain of the transaction and show NNPC Retail Limited as the buyer of the cargo, in line with the internal framework,” he added.
Justice Dada subsequently adjourned the case till April 15, 2026, for continuation of cross-examination.
