The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned a vessel, MT Ostria, and three men before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, over the alleged theft of more than 13 million litres of petrol valued at about N12 billion.
Those charged include Captain Raymundo Panaligam and Chief Officer Roneno Villarin, both crew members of MT Ostria, and Vincent Wayas, a staff member of GMO, an inspection company representing NNPC Retail Limited.
According to the EFCC, the defendants conspired to steal 13,354,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit belonging to NNPC Retail Limited. The offences, the agency said, violate Sections 411 and 280 of the Lagos State Criminal Law, 2015, and are punishable under Section 287.
One of the charges reads, “MT Ostria, Captain Raymundo A. Panaligam, Chief Officer Roneno Villarin, and Mr. Vincent Wayas, sometime in January 2024 in Lagos, conspired among themselves to steal 13,354,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, property of NNPC Retail Limited.”
The EFCC also accused the defendants of separately stealing 9 million litres and another 3 million litres of PMS in January 2024.
All the accused pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge.
After their plea, the EFCC prosecutor, Bilikisu Buhari, asked the court to remand the defendants, saying they might flee if released. She told the court that “they pose a flight risk and have nothing to lose if they abscond.”
Defence counsel, however, said bail applications had already been filed and requested that the defendants remain under the EFCC’s administrative bail since they had followed all its conditions.
Justice Dada accepted the defence’s request and ruled that the defendants should continue under the same bail terms granted by the EFCC.
The case was adjourned to November 17 and 27, 2025, for trial.
