Section 170: Payment over of property of deceased seaman by the superintendent

(1)
Where any property of a deceased seaman or cadet who belong to a ship to which section 166 of this Act refers comes into the hands of the superintendent, the superintendent shall, after deducting the expenses incurred in respect of the seaman or cadet or of his property, such sum as he thinks proper to allow, subject to the provisions of this Part of this Act, deal with the residue as follows:
(a)
if the property exceeds twenty thousand Naira in value, the superintendent shall pay and deliver the residue to the legal personal representative of the deceased;
(b)
if the property does not exceed twenty thousand Naira in value, the superintendent may, as he thinks fit :
(i) pay or deliver the residue to any claimant who is proved to the satisfaction of the superintendent to be the spouse or a child of the deceased seaman or cadet, or to be entitled to the property of the deceased, under his will, if any, or any statute of distribution or otherwise, or to be a person entitled to takeout representation, although no such representation has been taken out, and shall be discharged from all further liability in respect of the residue so paid or delivered, or
(ii) require representation to be taken out and pay and deliver the residue to the legal personal representative of the deceased.
(2)
Every person to whom any residue is paid or delivered under subsection (1) of this section shall apply the same in due course of administration.