Alleged 25.3m litres PMS theft: NNPC official testifies as EFCC presents second witness

The trial over the alleged theft of 25,354,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) took a fresh turn on Tuesday as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) presented its second prosecution witness before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.

The case involves the vessel MT Ostria and three defendants — Captain Raymundo A. Panaligam, Chief Officer Roneno Villarin and Vincent Wayas — who were arraigned on October 29, 2025, on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing.

The defendants are accused of unlawfully diverting 25,354,000 litres of PMS said to belong to NNPC Retail Limited, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The offences 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.

At the resumed hearing on April 14, 2026, the prosecution’s second witness (PW2), a representative of NNPC, testified on the transaction involving MT Ostria and the sequence of events that led to the EFCC’s investigation.

Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel Bilikisu Buhari, the witness told the court that operational concerns surfaced when D. Torros Shipping Limited, the receiving terminal, requested a suspension of discharge activities.

“From our operational perspective, we were worried about any delay that could cause additional cost on the operation. We were informed by Torros that the suspension was due to variations in quantities between the ship’s discharge figure and Torros’ received figure,” he said.

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According to the witness, the discrepancy prompted Torros to notify the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), which subsequently escalated the matter to relevant government agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS).

He further disclosed that Torros also reported the matter to the EFCC, leading to his invitation by the anti-graft agency.

“I was invited by the EFCC. I was interviewed and I wrote a statement regarding the transaction at the time. We also submitted some documents to the EFCC with respect to the operation,” he told the court.

The witness confirmed that the documents submitted were generated using his company’s laptop and printer, which he said were in good working condition at the time.

Prosecuting counsel Buhari tendered the documents in evidence, and they were admitted by the court without objection.

Providing insight into the transaction framework, the witness explained that there is an internal arrangement governing dealings among NNPC Retail, NNPC Trading and NNPC Shipping.

Referring to Exhibit P4 — a Credit Sales Invoice issued to NNPC Retail Limited — he identified NNPC Retail as “the ultimate owner of the petroleum products allegedly stolen.”

The invoice, he said, confirmed receipt and bore the signature of NNPC Trading for the sale of about 20.3 million litres of PMS through MT Ostria, which was nominated by NNPC Retail from a mother vessel, MT Northern Light.

He explained that the invoice was issued pursuant to an internal agreement framework requiring product requests to be processed through a company portal that generates sales quotations.

“This Credit Sales Invoice carries two sales quotation numbers, also called Pro Forma Invoice (PFI) numbers: 20001584 and 20001601. These numbers are to be indicated on the commercial documents relating to this operation,” he said.

The documents, he added, established the commercial chain of the transaction and clearly identified NNPC Retail Limited as the buyer of the cargo.

After the testimony, Justice Dada adjourned the matter till April 15, 2026, for the continuation of cross-examination.

The EFCC continues to prosecute the case as part of its broader efforts to combat economic and financial crimes in the petroleum sector.