Section 3: Discharge of oil into the waters of Nigeria.

(1) If any oil or mixture containing oil is discharged into waters to which this section applies from any vessel, or from any place on land, or from any apparatus used for transferring oil from or to any vessel (whether to or from a place on land or to or from another vessel), then subject to the provisions of this Act-
(a) if the discharge is from a vessel, the owner or master of the vessel; or
(b) if the discharge is from a place on land, the occupier of that place; or
(c) if the discharge is from apparatus used for transferring oil from or to a vessel, the person in charge of the apparatus,
- is guilty of an offence under this section.
(2) This section applies to the following waters, that is-
(a) the whole of the sea within the seaward limits of the territorial waters of Nigeria; and
(b) all other waters (including inland waters) which are within those limits and are navigable by sea-going ships.
(3) The harbour authority may appoint a place within its jurisdiction where the ballast water of vessels in which a cargo of dangerous petroleum has been carried may be discharged into the waters of the harbour, at such times, and subject to such conditions, as the authority may determine, and, where a place is so appointed, the discharge of ballast water from such a vessel shall not constitute an offence under this section, if the ballast water is discharged at that place and at a time and in accordance with the conditions so determined and the ballast water contains no oil other than dangerous petroleum.
(4) In subsection (3) of this section, "dangerous petroleum" has the same meaning as in the Petroleum Act.