…Lawyers may persuade him to sue for unlawful detention
After weeks in detention, the managing director of Capital Oil and Gas Limited, Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah, has been released by the Department of State Security (DSS).
Whereas earlier speculation by the agency was that his offences were punishable by death, indication n later emerged that the Anambra born oil magnate was released Monday night unconditionally after a “No Case” was established.
This was after forensic investigation by the DSS in his rift with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) who had alleged that he diverted petroleum products worth billions of naira with the intent to cause unprecedented scarcity which never happened after all.
Business Hilights recalls that DSS had arrested Dr. Ubah over his alleged connection with a claimed theft of petrol kept in his tank farm in Lagos by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. The product, it said, was valued at over N11 billion.
The agency said Ubah’s action amounted to economic sabotage, with “capacity to negatively impact on national economy.”
A statement by its spokesman, Tony Opuiyo had said further that Ubah was also arrested because he further engaged in other activities inimical to national security and public order.
The statement read in parts: “In furtherance of his gimmicks to undermine the government and people of Nigeria, he has incited members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), a critical player in the downstream sub-sector of the Petroleum Industry, to refuse/stop the lifting of products.
“This is part of his plans to curry their sentiments and cause them to embark on strike and also stage protests in his favour with the ulterior motive of arm-twisting the NNPC to abandon the cause of recovering the stolen products. The implications of this on law and order is, in fact, a common knowledge. It is consequent upon this that the Service arrested and will prosecute him forthwith.
“The public is hereby reassured that the Service will collaborate with appropriate agencies to ensure that the mischievous activities of any person or group(s) to engage in illegal activities will not affect the effective distribution of products across the country. It will also support such agencies to bring to book individuals or companies involved in any criminal act that undermines the nation’s economy”.
In an interview with a Lagos Human Rights legal luminary who pleaded anonymity, the expert said “With the way and manner of the commando arrest and detention, I think going to court to press compensation for unlawful detention may be apt after all”.
Ab-initio, whereas the NNPC, had accused Ubah of diverting its product in his tank farm amounting to N11billion, Ubah equally denied the allegation, maintaining he is innocent while providing proves that the NNPC was not sincere with its position against him.
Capital Oil boss had, through an official letter from his firm, confirmed that he had a face-off with the government-owned firm; NNPC over unpaid and overdue debt amounting to over N16billion owed his company, Capital oil & Gas.
In the letter, Capital Oil averred that NNPC surprisingly involved the DSS when Ubah paid himself N11Billion out of the N16billion owed him from products stored on his Apapa tank farm by the NNPC, an act he said was a simple issue of counterbalancing.
