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By Tracy Moses
A United States–based shipping company, NUJENIX Corporation, has lodged an expanded petition with the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), alleging that personnel of the Nigerian Army played a role in the unlawful seizure, prolonged detention, and vandalisation of its motor tanker, MT Thor, while reportedly facilitating threats against the company’s owner.
The petition, submitted through the firm’s legal representatives, S.D. Omede, Esq., and P.O. Onucheyo, Esq., accuses several individuals and corporate entities, including John George Igor, Leonard Kwentua, Okoye Okezie Jude, Oluwagbemiga Ebenezer, Ampliar Resources Ltd, and Ebenco Global Link Ltd, of criminal conspiracy, theft, vandalism, and illegal conversion of the vessel.
NUJENIX Corporation said it is acting on behalf of its owner and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Eial Golan Yachiel, an Israeli-American citizen based in the United States.
According to the petition, MT Thor, registered in Florida and owned by NUJENIX Corporation, was leased to Sub-Sea 9 Ocean Services Ltd under a bareboat charter agreement dated January 1, 2021. John George Igor, allegedly operating the vessel, was required to remit $912,500 every six months but reportedly paid only $25,000 before defaulting and going into hiding, cutting off all communication with the vessel’s owner.
The petition further claims that threats were made against Mr. Yachiel, stating, “Our client was warned that he would be kidnapped, killed, or die under suspicious circumstances if he ever stepped foot in Nigeria,” the lawyers said.
Speaking on behalf of the company, Barrister Peter Onucheyo alleged that some Nigerian Army personnel acted in support of one of the principal suspects, intimidating parties involved, obstructing police investigations, taking unlawful custody of the vessel, and detaining individuals linked to the matter.
“This dispute has escalated far beyond a contractual disagreement. It is no longer a business issue; it now involves threats, unlawful detention, and the use of force,” Onucheyo said.
He added that armed personnel allegedly interfered when law enforcement agencies attempted to execute arrest warrants following court proceedings. “When the police attempted to carry out arrests, they were prevented from doing so,” he claimed.
According to Onucheyo, soldiers were deployed to guard the vessel at Koko, Warri, Delta State, where MT Thor was reportedly hidden and gradually dismantled. “The vessel was taken there, concealed, and systematically vandalised. It has been reduced to a shadow of its former self,” he said.
The petition also claimed that repeated attempts to enforce court orders were obstructed and that individuals connected to the vessel were unlawfully detained with the backing of armed personnel.
NUJENIX Corporation said MT Thor has been stripped of critical components, rendering it unseaworthy. “The vessel is now damaged beyond repair due to the criminal actions of the suspects,” the petition stated, noting that essential navigational and bunker equipment were allegedly removed. Photographs documenting the vessel’s condition at delivery in January 2021 and its current state were attached to the petition.
Citing the alleged involvement of armed personnel and threats to the owner’s life, the company called for urgent intervention from the IGP. “We respectfully urge the Inspector-General of Police to use the powers of his office to ensure justice is served and to urgently intervene to protect the life and property of our client,” the petition read.
The firm also alleged that police investigators traced the vessel to Koko, Delta State, where it was reportedly hidden. While the Marine Police began towing the remaining structure of MT Thor to a secure location, a Nigerian Army gunboat led by Lt. Col. Mustapha Garba allegedly intercepted the operation and took control of the vessel.
The petition claims that the military action was instigated by Oluwagbemiga Ebenezer, who reportedly asserted ownership of the jetty where the vessel had been moored.
As of the filing of this report, neither the Nigerian Army nor the individuals named in the petition had publicly responded to the allegations.