• staff rejects N25m bribe from the vessel owner
One of the security personnel who was part of the operation mentioned that, they got a tip off that a ship was loading at the Escravos axis. The Tantita security personnel went to the place and got the ship arrested.
The Tantita security personnel further added that he was offered a bribe of N25m to let the ship go but he turned down the offer.
On the capacity of the ship, he explained that the ship is 1,500 metric tons and had on board eight all Nigerian crew members.
While noting that the captain confessed that they came in from Lagos and that if they were not arrested, the ship would have sailed back to Lagos.
Let’s hear Tompolo’s staff as he explains further;
“While I insisted that the crew must be taken to Oporoza in Gbaramatu Kingdom, where Tantita operational office is located. Their boss was begging me through the captain of the ship to offer me a bribe of N25m which he promised to deliver in dollars, so that I can let the ship go. But I turned down the offer’.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that the intercepted ship has been handed over to the Nigerian Navy on Saturday.