Nigerian Navy hands over impounded ships to Interpol

Interpol in Lagos took delivery of two ships impounded by the Nigerian Navy late January.

Two Philipino crewmembers onboard the ships, identified as Captain Danilo and Mr. Felix Climaco, both captain and engineers, were also handed over to the police. The two ships are presently anchored at the outside bar of the Lagos breakwaters. The official handing over of the two ships to the InterPol unit of the Nigerian Police was to forestall a recurrence of the disappearance of MT African Pride. Though details of their crimes were still sketchy as at the time this report was filed, the Commanding Officer, NNS Beecroft, Navy Captain Peter Agba, said the handing over was sequel to a Federal High court order directing the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Police or the Nigerian Ports Authority to arrest the two ships. It was the constitutional responsibility of the police to prosecute, while the Nigerian Navy's duty was to protect the nation's territorial waters. 'The reason why the ships are being handed over to the Nigerian branch of the International Police (InterPol) was as a result of the possible nature of crime committed,' he said. Though, he refused to state the crime, he said the Nigerian Navy arrested the two ships on January 4, 2008, following a motion filed at a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.
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