The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has sought the support and technical expertise of the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, in the disposal of petroleum products forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria by individuals and companies convicted of illegal dealing in petroleum products.
This request was made on Tuesday, July 23, 2019, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State by Secretary to the EFCC, Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede who paid an official visit to the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, Port Harcourt Zone.
According to him, the EFCC needed the technical expertise of officials of DPR to sell off petroleum products carried by trucks forfeited to the government, as contained in a final forfeiture order recently granted the EFCC by a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt.
“We have a court order empowering the EFCC to conduct the sale of petroleum products carried by 244 trucks forfeited to the government. As you know, the extractive Industry is technical. We need your support in the process of disposal of the products. We need to determine the status and volume of the products. We need your technical expertise in this regard”, he said.
In his response, Port Harcourt’s Zonal Coordinator of DPR, Mr Bassey Nkanga thanked Olukoyede for his visit and expressed the readiness of his Department to support the EFCC in carrying out the sale of the products.
“We know the importance of EFCC. We are ready to collaborate with you. That is what we have been doing and we will continue to do so”, he said.
The forfeiture of the trucks was contained in an order granted by Justice I. M Sani of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on July 5, 2019.
Meanwhile, in furtherance of the assessment of the forfeited trucks to the EFCC, Olukoyede made a physical sighting of the trucks in various locations at 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt.
He was received by officers and men of the Division who took him on a guided tour of the locations where the trucks are kept.
The Commission Secretary expressed satisfaction with the custody of the trucks and promised that the EFCC will liaise with relevant agencies to ensure the accelerated sale of the trucks and the products they were carrying in line with court pronouncement.
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