Metro

Court Orders Detention Of Vessels Over Multi-million Dollar Debt To Nigerian Partners

Published

2 years ago

July 27, 2023

Editor

A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, has ordered the arrest and detention of vessels belonging to Maritime Security giant, Ambrey International, following its refusal to meet its financial obligations to local service providers and Nigerian partners.

The arrest warrant and detention order of vessels: MV Sirius, MV Sirius 1, MV Siriius 2 and MV Sentinel, listed as: 1-4th defendants in case number: FHC/PH//CS/41/2023 which has Criterion Nigeria Ltd as plaintiff, was signed by the presiding judge, Justice Stephen Dalyop Pam.

The order read in part, “To the Admiralty Marshall of the Federal High Court and to all and singular his substitute …This is therefore to require and order you forthwith to arrest and detain the said vessel “MV Sirius”, MV Sirus 2 and MV Sentinel” and to keep same under detention until you shall receive further order (s) from the Court.”

The vessel owners have had a running battle with Nigerian partners and local operators who provide services which range from supply of security vessels, bunkers and other related logistical support to ease operations.

Local partners had complained about Ambrey’s refusal to pay for services rendered to International clients such as: Frontline, MSC, COSCO, and Maersk on its behalf.

The plaintiff’s decision to seek legal redress was sequel to the discovery that international clients had made full payments for the services rendered to Ambrey but that the company deliberately refused to pay local service providers with one of such providers alone being owed over Five Million US dollars.

When several attempts to recover the debts, failed to yield the desired results, the providers approached the court to seek redress.

This led to the issuance of the order to arrest and detain the vessels and for the utilizationof the vessels to recover the outstanding debts.

There are reports that the defendants in the case equally had similar issues with local service providers across other parts of West Africa especially Republic of Cameroun.

Those familiar with the matter explain that Ambrey’s woes appear to have began with its botched attempt to sell off its business concerns to another player in the maritime sector, Ocean Infinity, without first settling its outstanding liabilities to service providers.

Metro

Gateman Arrested For Allegedly Defiling Four-year-old Pupil In Oyo

Published

17 minutes ago

September 5, 2025

Editor

A 26-year-old gateman identified as Josiah Ayomide has been arrested for allegedly defiling a four-year-old pupil in one of the schools in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The suspect was paraded alongside other suspects arrested for offences ranging from theft, banditry, rape, and other crimes at the Oyo State Police Command, Eleyele, Ibadan, on Thursday.

In his briefing, the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Adewale Osifeso, said the suspect was nabbed after the victim complained of severe vaginal pains to her parents at home.

Osifeso added that after a thorough investigation and probe, the suspect confessed to the crime.

The police spokesman said the victim later told her mother that her school gateman had unlawfully raped her while she was in the school.

According to the report, “The victim was taken to the Police Medical Clinic, Eleyele-Ibadan, for medical examination and treatment, and the medical report revealed that the hymen was not intact, with tenderness around the vulva and vagina and bruises.”

Osifeso said the suspect would be prosecuted upon completion of the investigation.

Metro

Panic As Fire Guts Fuel Station In Ikorodu

Published

2 hours ago

September 5, 2025

Editor

Photo: File Copy

There was pandemonium on Friday when fire gutted A1 Petroleum Filling Station, an independent oil dealer located on Isawo Road, off Agric Bus Stop in Ikorodu, Lagos.

As of 1 p.m., the extent of property destroyed and possible casualties had not been confirmed. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Men of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, supported by other emergency responders, were at the scene battling to contain the inferno, which reportedly began from a diesel-laden truck within the premises.

Metro

DSS Charges Top Ansaru Leaders Over Terrorism, Kuje Prison Break Roles

Published

2 hours ago

September 5, 2025

Editor

The Department of State Services (DSS) has brought terrorism charges against two senior commanders of Ansaru, an Al-Qaeda-linked terror group, over their alleged role in violent attacks across Nigeria.

The suspects are Mahmud Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar, who is described as the Emir of Ansaru, and his deputy Mahmud al-Nigeri, also called Malam Mamuda. They were recently captured during security operations.

According to the DSS, the charges against them include leading a terrorist organisation, funding its activities, recruiting members, and planning violent operations nationwide.

Their arraignment at the Federal High Court in Abuja is expected soon.

Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA), said the two men were behind the July 2022 Kuje prison attack, where more than 600 inmates, including Boko Haram suspects, escaped.

Ribadu explained: “Abu Bara was the coordinator of terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria and the mastermind of several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to finance terrorism.”

On Mamuda, Ribadu revealed that he trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadists from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specialising in handling weapons and making explosive devices.

The NSA also linked the suspects to the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp in Katsina, the 2019 kidnapping of Musa Uba, Magajin Garin Daura, and the kidnapping of the Emir of Wawa.

Ribadu described their arrest as “a turning point”, noting that the duo maintained strong networks in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.