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90 Ships Seized By EFCC Rot Away In Lagos, Others
Some of the ships seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have begun to sink in waters across the country, while many of those temporarily and permanently forfeited by suspected corrupt persons are being damaged due to lack of maintenance, The PUNCH has reliably learnt.
Sources in the know of the development at the House of Representatives told our correspondent that the Nigerian Navy, which was mandated to oversee the seized, recovered or forfeited assets, had no budgetary provision to maintain them, leaving them damaged and submerged eventually.
According to the lawmakers, most of the vessels are in Lagos State and they are the worst hit by the abandonment.
The House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committee on Assessment and Status of All Recovered Loots Movable and Immovable Assets from 2002 to 2020 by Agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria for Effective, Efficient Management and Utilisation had recently embarked on oversight visits to the locations of such assets for an on-the-sight assessment.
Some members of the committee, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity as the investigation was still ongoing, expressed their displeasure at what they found out during the tour.
A member said, “There are some of these assets that are still being managed by third parties. But a lot of them are just totally sealed up. Like business premises, they allow the people operating on the premises to continue, while they pay (rent) into the Recovery Account…they are paying rent to the EFCC. But for the ones that are not like that, they are sealed up and those ones are depreciating.
“Now, let me tell you the worst case and where you will feel bad about depreciation (of recovered/seized assets): houses depreciate but not as bad as the vessels in the waters. Most of the ships that were supposedly seized, a number of them sunk – three or four of them have submerged because nobody can take care of them.
“In fact, most of the ones in the Lagos waters have badly depreciated…they are like just holding the shell when the snail is dead. That is what has happened to most of the vessels. About 10 per cent have been submerged, while the other ones are just in a terrible state that they cannot attract much value again.”
When asked for the number of ships and vessels on the waters across the country, the lawmaker disclosed that over 30 were in Port Harcourt, about 10 in Warri, and about 10 in Bayelsa, adding, “They (Navy) have quite a lot and they are really in a bad shape.”
The source noted that while the “ones with the most value are in Port Harcourt,” they are all in the custody of the Nigerian Navy.
“Even though they were forfeited to the EFCC, the EFCC cannot protect them; it is the Navy that is protecting them,” he said.
The lawmaker noted that ships that were supposed to be powered regularly had been abandoned for close to seven years “and because of that, they have started to take in water.”
“I initially doubted the submerging story. We went to the water. I actually did not believe that they were submerged. But we actually saw ships inside the water,” the lawmaker added.
Another member of the committee was asked how the panel felt about recovered assets wasting away when the Federal Government was crying about revenue shortage and had embarked on a borrowing spree locally and internationally.
The lawmaker said, “The problem is that there is a wide gap between forfeiture and sale (auction). Most of the ships and vessels were forfeited over five years ago; the minimum is two years ago. And they are all still there. And these are assets that cannot be abandoned for long; they are depreciating assets.
“The waters in Nigeria have a lot of corrosion due to the high salt content (salinity). So, they are corroded from the base and as long as they get corroded, they will end up damaged.”
Responding to a question on plea bargaining being an alternative, the lawmaker said the government and its anti-graft agencies should have made the offer before approaching the courts to secure orders of interim and permanent forfeiture of the vessels.
The lawmaker added, “Part of the problem is that keeping custody of and maintaining them is gulping a lot of funds from the Navy and nobody is refunding the money being spent by the Navy. So, if we have like 100 vessels and six naval ratings working on each ship, it means that every day, the naval men will be patrolling the waters, so you have about 600 of them tied down to these assets
“Also, they are to be provided fuel and fed at that location. Yet, the EFCC does not refund the Navy for the expenditure on the assets. So, because of that, it is becoming a burden on the Navy and the level of maintenance is dropping gradually.
“And because the Navy was part of the process of seizing the assets, seeing what is now becoming of them, the Navy is not encouraged to carry out more seizures. When you seize something and you find out that it eventually becomes a burden on you, you may compromise and allow some (of the vessels) to go.”
The Chairman of the committee, Adejoro Adeogun, however, declined to comment on the revelations. When contacted to confirm the findings, he said, “You don’t expect me to speak on a probe that we have not concluded. All the details you need will be provided in our report to the House.”
The spokesman for the Attorney-General of the Federation, Umar Gwandu, could not be reached for comments on Sunday ditto for the spokesman for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren.
News
Delta NMA Declares Blessing CEO’s Cancer Report Fraudulent
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Delta State branch, has officially debunked the cancer claims made by relationship influencer Blessing Okoro, popularly known as Blessing CEO.
In a statement on Tuesday, the association revealed that the document is an altered version of an original medical report belonging to a different patient diagnosed with breast cancer.
The statement, jointly signed by NMA Delta State Chairman, Dr. Israel Adaigho, and Secretary, Dr. Usamah Hannah, was sighted by The Nation on Tuesday.
According to the NMA, the viral report was purportedly issued by Xinus Medical Diagnostics and signed by consultant pathologist Dr. O.A. Odigwe.
However, Dr. Odigwe, who is the proprietor of the diagnostic centre, clarified that his facility never issued any report to Blessing Okoro.
The association explained that Xinus Medical Diagnostics is located in Asaba, Delta State not Enugu State as claimed in the circulating document.
The centre was contacted in May 2025 by a doctor from a private hospital in Asaba to conduct a confirmatory histology test for a patient identified as Mbara Deborah, who had a suspected case of breast cancer.
The test confirmed breast cancer, and the original result was issued to the referring doctor on May 9, 2025.
The NMA stated that the document currently being paraded online by the law firm Allen Juris Law is the original report bearing the name Mbara Deborah.
The version linked to Blessing CEO appears to be a doctored copy of this same report.
The statement read in part: “Our attention has been drawn to an online histology report purportedly issued to one Blessing Okoro, aka Blessing CEO, by Xinus Medical Diagnostics allegedly located in Enugu State. The said histology report was also alleged to have been signed by Dr. O.A. Odigwe, a consultant pathologist.
“The proprietor of Xinus Medical Diagnostics, Dr. O.A. Odigwe, who is also a member of the Nigerian Medical Association, Delta State chapter, has reached us and offered the following clarification: that Xinus Medical Diagnostics is located in Asaba, Delta State and did not at any time issue any report to Blessing Okoro.
“The centre was contacted in May 2025 by a doctor from a private hospital in Asaba to do a confirmatory test on a possible case of breast cancer for a patient, Mbara Deborah. The test was done and the result issued to the referring doctor as a case of breast cancer on May 9, 2025.
“A copy of that result is the one currently being circulated online by the law firm, Allen Juris Law, with the name Mbara Deborah as the patient. That result from the law firm is the original version issued to the patient through her hospital.”
The NMA said the clarification became necessary because of the way the altered report was allegedly being used to solicit public sympathy and financial assistance.
It urged the public to be cautious and warned against actions that could tarnish the integrity of medical professionals.
The association also called on relevant security agencies to take appropriate steps to protect unsuspecting members of the public.
“The integrity of our association and its members is very paramount and should not therefore be taken for granted.
“We call on the authorities responsible for maintaining law and order to do the needful and save unsuspecting members of the public from being unduly taken advantage of,” it added.
Recall that Blessing CEO recently solicited financial help from the public for the treatment of what she claimed was stage four cancer.
Following widespread backlash and allegations that her medical report had been edited, she made a U-turn, stating in an interview: “I don’t have stage 4 cancer. That was a miscommunication.”
News
Abuja Court Jails Boko Haram Food Supplier, Hamatu Modu For 40 Years
Justice Binta Fatima Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced Hamatu Modu, a major food supplier for Boko Haram terrorists, to 40 years imprisonment for his involvement in terrorism activities.
Modu, who confessed in the open court to supplying food items and information to terrorists, was put on trial by the federal government through the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
He was slammed with 4- count charges and instantly pleaded guilty to them.
The Director of the Public Prosecution of the Federation, DPPF, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, led the prosecution.
In his judgment, Justice Nyako sentenced him to 10 years on each of the count but due to the plea of the defense counsel, the judge ordered that the 40 years imprisonment should run concurrently, giving the convict opportunity to spend only 10 years.
In another development, Isah Ali, another food supplier also in Borno, was jailed 10 years by Justice Nyako.
His jail term will, however, start three years ago when he was arrested and clamped into detention.
The convict confessed to committing the offence as charged.
Justice Nyako ordered that the convicts be made to undergo rehabilitation and radicalization at the end of their service of the jail terms.
The Federal Ministry of Interior was ordered to determine where the two men will serve their jail terms.
News
Just In: Kebbi Assembly Speaker Muhammad Ankwai Passes Away
The Speaker of the Kebbi State House of Assembly, Muhammad Usman Ankwai has passed away in the late hours of Monday, 6 April 2026.
Ankwai, who represented Zuru Constituency under the All Progressives Congress (APC), was elected Speaker at the inauguration of the 10th Assembly on June 8, 2023.
Details surrounding the circumstances of his death were not immediately disclosed at the time of filing this report.
His death has, however, triggered an outpouring of condolences from fellow lawmakers, political associates, and residents across Kebbi State, many of whom have described him as a dedicated public servant who contributed to legislative development in the state.
Further announcements regarding burial arrangements are expected to be made by his family soon.
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