The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has formally arraigned the vessel MT Ostria, its captain Raymundo Panaligam, Chief Officer Roneno Villarin, and Vincent Wayas, an employee of GMO Inspectorate Firm representing NNPC, before Justice Mojisola Dada at the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos State. The arraignment, which took place on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, addresses allegations of conspiracy and stealing involving over 25 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, valued at approximately N12 billion, belonging to NNPC Retail Limited.

The defendants face a four-count charge detailing the offences. According to the prosecution, the accused conspired to steal a total of 25,354,000 litres of PMS. Specific charges outlined that in January 2024, the individuals and the vessel conspired to commit a felony by stealing 13,354,000 litres of PMS from NNPC Retail Limited. Further counts allege that on or about January 17, 2024, the same defendants dishonestly took 9,000,000 litres of PMS, followed by an additional dishonest taking of 3,000,000 litres of the same product, bringing the detailed sum of alleged theft to 25,354,000 litres. These actions are said to contravene Sections 411 and 280 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, and are punishable under Section 287 of the same law.

All defendants entered a plea of not guilty when the charges were read to them in court. Following their plea, the prosecuting lawyer, Bilikisu Buhari, requested that the court remand the defendants in a correctional facility pending trial, arguing that they posed a significant flight risk and might abscond if granted bail. Conversely, the defence teams informed the court that bail applications had already been submitted and urged Justice Dada to allow the defendants to continue under the existing administrative bail conditions previously granted by the EFCC, emphasizing that none had defaulted on any terms.

After considering the arguments from both sides, Justice Mojisola Dada ruled that the defendants should indeed continue under the existing EFCC bail conditions. The case has been adjourned to November 17 and 27, 2025, for the commencement of the trial. This legal action underscores the broader challenge of petroleum theft in Nigeria, a problem that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has actively engaged the EFCC to combat. Over the past two years, the Nigerian Navy has also played a crucial role, arresting 76 vessels and more than 240 suspects in various operations targeting petroleum theft, highlighting the significant scale and persistence of this criminal enterprise. Reports and studies have consistently detailed the sophisticated methods, extensive networks, and diverse export channels involved in crude oil theft across the nation, alongside efforts to deploy tracking systems to mitigate these substantial losses.