$6.5m ship purchase scam: EFCC questions NISA boss,Labinjo, wife

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) have arrested President of the Nigerian Shipowners
Association (NISA), retired Navy Capt. Niyi Dada Labinjo and
his wife, Bola.
The couple were arrested at the anti-graft agency’s office in
Ikoyi, Lagos, Tuesday, in connection with a ship purchase
scandal involving an indigenous shipping company, Acenk
Maritime and Energy Services Limited.
The anti-graft operatives who have been on the trail of the
Labinjos since last Monday, visited their home and offices in
Apapa where they arrested one of his staff and wife’s younger
sister, one Abigail Ezeibe.
They also towed away three luxury cars allegedly acquired by
the NISA boss over the past three months, upon discovery
that the couple were outside the country.
Our correspondent reliably learnt that NISA executives
allegedly mounted pressure on the Labinjos to return home
and face the EFCC, following a letter from the anti-graft
agency to the association of shipowners to produce their
president by last Monday.
They reportedly returned home and showed up at the EFCC
Ikoyi office where they were promptly arrested and detained
overnight since they were not able to meet their stringent bail
conditions.
The terms of the conditions for bail are still sketchy, but
Labinjo told Daily Sun on phone, Tuesday afternoon, that he
would issue “a major press statement soon that will clarify the
issue.”
Build-up to the arrest of the Labinjos was a complaint
launched last week by Mrs. Adenike Jolapamo-Onifade,
daughter of the immediate past Chairman of NISA, Chief Isaac
Jolapamo.
Jolapamo-Onifade had accused the couple of allegedly
diverting part of a $5.85 million loan facility granted by a first
generation commercial bank to her company, Acenk Maritime
and Energy Services Limited, for the purchase of two vessels.
In her petition, Jolapamo-Onifade had accused Capt. Labinjo
and Mrs. Bola Labinjo of diverting close to $2 million out of a
$6.5 million deal to acquire an oil tanker and a fast speed
intervention vessel (FSIV). The commercial bank gave a
facility of $5.85 million while the beneficiary company was
expected to make an equity contribution of 10 per cent or $
650,000.
She said that while the FSIV was purchased and delivered to
Nigeria, the Labinjos failed to remit the remaining $2.3 million
for purchase of the oil tanker.
She said a good part of the $2.3 million had found its way
from the shipbroker, Radunia International Corporation of
Greece into various company accounts allegedly owned by the
Labinjos.
She said after waiting for more than a month without any
headway, she approached one of her friends at a commercial
bank where the Labinjos maintain their company accounts
where she discovered that rather than pay for her 5,000dwt oil
tanker with the balance $2.3 million, Radunia had been
transferring the money into various accounts allegedly
belonging to the Labinjos.
She claimed that Radunia severally transferred money to
Transunion Credit Agency Nig. Ltd, Global Shipping Activities
Bureau Limited and Soughtafter International Synergy Ltd –
all companies Jolapamo-Onifade claimed are owned by
Labinjo and his wife.
She alleged that a total of $1,125,530 (N216 million) of the
first generation bank loan had been transferred by the
supposed shipbroker, Radunia International Corporation, to the
companies.
The telex transfer documents revealed that Radunia
transferred $220,000 to Transunion Credit Reporting Agency
Nig. Ltd on 17/10/2014; $20,000 on 6/11/2014; $300,000 on
17/11/2014 and $350,000 on 25/11/2014.
Radunia also transferred $230,000 to Soughtafter International
Synergy Ltd on 6/10/2014 and $5,530 to Global Shipping
Activities Bureau Limited on 6/11/2014.
However, when contacted, Labinjo denied having any business
transaction with Jolapamo-Onifade.
“I am aware she had a business transaction with my wife.
They had a MoU but along the line, there was a breakdown of
the agreement. Trust was also lost. I am aware also that
there are arrangements to return the entire loan to her so that
she can go her way since the working agreement is not
working,” he said.