The Forward Operating Base (FORMOSO) of the Nigeria Navy has handed over a grounded seized vessel (MT Maro) to a steel company in order to scrap and dismantle it and turn to Iran steel.

Handling over the vessel which was grounded by the Navy after the crew members were arrested for their involvement in illegal bunkering since 2014, the Commander of FORMOSO, Captain Suleiman Ibrahim, said it was to enable them use it for other useful things.

He said the owners of the vessel after the arrest of the crew and subsequent prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), has since absconded.

He said, “Today, we come for the handing over of MT Maro, from which was under the custody of Nigerian Navy, but  now it’s been officially handed over to Sir Francis Orjiako, he’s the manager of Ayo Steel, an industrialist, and he intend to scrap the vessel and then use it for some other things.

“Sometimes in 2014, it was originally arrested for some infractions which had to do with crude oil theft and have since then been here.

“Usually, when arrests are made, the owner of the vessels have responsibility to maintain present on the vessel. What the navy does is that as soon as this arrests are made, the vessel are handed over to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission who will investigate and prosecute, but it does not exonerate the owners the companies who owns the vessel from directly looking after the vessel running the machineries.

“I think the situation we had was that the company that owned the vessel, after a while pulled out her personnel and that is why the vessel is in this state like this.

The Managing Director of Ayo Steel, Francis Orjiako, said he intended to dismantle the vessel into scraps and melt into iron rods for industrial use.

“Well, we intend to cut it and melt it, so when we start working, any moment from next week, we will cut it and bring it out from d water. In four months, we will be through with it.