Nigerian Navy Dismisses Allegations Of Bribery Against Its Chief Of Staff As Baseless

The Nigerian Navy has described the allegations against the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, as false, untenable, and baseless.

This is just as the Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Bello Matawalle, has pledged to investigate the allegations of corruption against the naval chief, stressing also that the allegations may be mischievous and frivolous.

An online report had accused the Naval Chief of releasing several oil tankers impounded for transporting stolen crude oil off Nigerian shores after receiving kickbacks in millions of dollars.

However, the Nigerian Navy, in a statement issued yesterday by the Director of Information, Rear Admiral Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, denied the allegations against Ogalla, stressing that the CNS has no business with oil bunkering contract awards.

He said the arrested vessels mentioned in the report were involved in crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering, clarifying that they have not been released as alleged.

The statement read: “The allegations that the Chief of the Naval Staff accepted over $170 million in bribes as well as alleged involvement in multi-billion-naira contract splitting fraud in the last six months are untenable, baseless and untrue.