A private security contractor, Messrs. Tantita Security Services, engaged by NNPC Ltd., intercepted a suspected vessel with a cargo of crude oil on board on July 7, 2023.
The interception followed the receipt of credible intelligence, according to the Chief Corporate Communications Officer
NNPC Ltd., Garba Deen Muhammad, in a statement on Monday, July 10.
The NNPC spokesman said that the vessel, MT TURA II (IMO number: 6620462), owned by a Nigerian registered company, HOLAB Maritime Services Ltd., with registration number RC813311, was heading to Cameroun with the cargo on board when it was apprehended at an offshore location (Latitude: 5.8197194477543235°, Longitude: 4.789002723991871°), with the Captain and crew members on board.
@Preliminary investigations revealed that the crude oil cargo onboard was illegally sourced from a well jacket offshore Ondo State, Nigeria. There was no valid documentation for the vessel or the crude oil cargo onboard at the time of the arrest.
“Further investigation into the activities of the vessel at the NNPC Ltd. Command and Control Centre also revealed that the vessel had been operating in stealth mode in the last 12 years. The last reported location of the vessel was Tin Can Port in July 2011.
“Details of this arrest and the outcomes of the investigations were escalated to the appropriate government authorities, upon which it was concluded to destroy the vessel to serve as a strong warning and deterrent to all those participating in such illegal activities to cease and desist,” Muhammad stated.
He said that the destruction of vessels involved in transporting stolen crude oil is of paramount importance as a strong deterrent.
He added: “The illegal trade of stolen crude oil not only inflicts significant economic losses on Nigeria and legitimate stakeholders in the oil industry, but also perpetuates a cycle of corruption, environmental devastation, and social instability.
He expressed assurance by the NNPC Ltd. to Nigerians that it would sustain the momentum in the war against crude oil theft until it is brought to a halt.
