The police command in Ondo state has arrested two survivors of the tragic explosion that engulfed the Ukpokiti oil field, involving the FPSO vessel, on behest of the management of SEPCOL.
AIT gathered that over 60,000 barrels of crude oil were destroyed and spilled from the vessel, which exploded on February 2nd 2022.
A local source from Escravos, who spoke to AIT via phone conversation, disclosed that two survivors who were among the three crew members found alive out of ten crew members on board the vessel during the incident have been in police detention for over three weeks without trial.
When contacted, the police spokesperson for the Ondo state command, DSP, Funmilayo Odunlami, via phone conversation, denied allegations that the two suspects are being held in police custody for three weeks without being charged to court.
Although she did not disclose how long the suspects have been in their custody, she said they have been charged to court for alleged conspiracy and economic sabotage.
At the time of this report, efforts to get comments from SEPCOL management were unsuccessful.
(Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu)
