The couple were arrested at the anti-graft agency’s office in Ikoyi, Lagos, Tuesday, in connection with a ship purchase scandal involving an indigenous shipping company, Acenk Maritime and Energy Services Limited.
The anti-graft operatives who have been on the trail of the Labinjos since last Monday, visited their home and offices in Apapa where they arrested one of his staff and wife’s younger sister, one Abigail Ezeibe.
They also towed away three luxury cars allegedly acquired by the NISA boss over the past three months, upon discovery that the couple were outside the country.
Our correspondent reliably learnt that NISA executives allegedly mounted pressure on the Labinjos to return home and face the EFCC, following a letter from the anti-graft agency to the association of shipowners to produce their president by last Monday.
They reportedly returned home and showed up at the EFCC Ikoyi office where they were promptly arrested and detained overnight since they were not able to meet their stringent bail conditions.
The terms of the conditions for bail are still sketchy, but Labinjo told Daily Sun on phone, Tuesday afternoon, that he would issue “a major press statement soon that will clarify the issue.”
Build-up to the arrest of the Labinjos was a complaint launched last week by Mrs. Adenike Jolapamo-Onifade, daughter of the immediate past Chairman of NISA, Chief Isaac Jolapamo.
Jolapamo-Onifade had accused the couple of allegedly diverting part of a $5.85 million loan facility granted by a first generation commercial bank to her company, Acenk Maritime and Energy Services Limited, for the purchase of two vessels.
In her petition, Jolapamo-Onifade had accused Capt. Labinjo and Mrs. Bola Labinjo of diverting close to $2 million out of a $6.5 million deal to acquire an oil tanker and a fast speed intervention vessel (FSIV). The commercial bank gave a facility of $5.85 million while the beneficiary company was expected to make an equity contribution of 10 per cent or $650,000.
She said that while the FSIV was purchased and delivered to Nigeria, the Labinjos failed to remit the remaining $2.3 million for purchase of the oil tanker.
She said a good part of the $2.3 million had found its way from the shipbroker, Radunia International Corporation of Greece into various company accounts allegedly owned by the Labinjos.
She said after waiting for more than a month without any headway, she approached one of her friends at a commercial bank where the Labinjos maintain their company accounts where she discovered that rather than pay for her 5,000dwt oil tanker with the balance $2.3 million, Radunia had been transferring the money into various accounts allegedly belonging to the Labinjos.
She claimed that Radunia severally transferred money to Transunion Credit Agency Nig. Ltd, Global Shipping Activities Bureau Limited and Soughtafter International Synergy Ltd – all companies Jolapamo-Onifade claimed are owned by Labinjo and his wife.
She alleged that a total of $1,125,530 (N216 million) of the first generation bank loan had been transferred by the supposed shipbroker, Radunia International Corporation, to the companies.
The telex transfer documents revealed that Radunia transferred $220,000 to Transunion Credit Reporting Agency Nig. Ltd on 17/10/2014; $20,000 on 6/11/2014; $300,000 on 17/11/2014 and $350,000 on 25/11/2014.
Radunia also transferred $230,000 to Soughtafter International Synergy Ltd on 6/10/2014 and $5,530 to Global Shipping Activities Bureau Limited on 6/11/2014.
However, when contacted, Labinjo denied having any business transaction with Jolapamo-Onifade.
“I am aware she had a business transaction with my wife. They had a MoU but along the line, there was a breakdown of the agreement. Trust was also lost. I am aware also that there are arrangements to return the entire loan to her so that she can go her way since the working agreement is not working
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