The immediate-past Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, has been temporarily sent to jail by Justice Saliu Saidu of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.
The former NIMASA boss was arraigned yesterday, Thursday, December 3, 2015, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on a 30-count charge bordering on money laundering, alongside seven others – Captain Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Felix Bob-Nabena, Captain Warredi Enisuoh, Governor Juan, Ugo Frederick and Timi Alari. Plus two companies allegedly deployed to do that – Penniel Engineering Services Ltd and Al-Kenzo Ltd.
Mr. Akpobolokemi was specifically accused of tampering with NIMASA’s N3.4 billion between December 2013 and July 2015, and while he oversaw the agency, before his removal by President Muhammadu Buhari. Thus, he was asked to remain in prison custody pending the perfection of all his bail terms.
It would be recalled that Akpobolokemi’s time at NIMASA was controversial. Tales abound then about the award of a multi billion Naira contract to one of the Niger Delta militants to keep watch over our water ways! Which didn’t go down well with Nigerians and also raised a lot of dust.