A private security contractor engaged by Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Messrs Tantita Security Services, has intercepted a suspicious 800,000 litres capacity vessel with stolen crude oil.
The Vessel, MT TURA II (IMO number: 6620462), owned by a Nigerian registered company, HOLAB Maritime Services Limited with Registration Number; RC813311, was said to be heading to Cameroun with the cargo when it was apprehended at an offshore location (Latitude: 5.8197194477543235°, Longitude: 4.789002723991871°), with the captain and crew members on board.
This is disclosed in a statement signed by the NNPCL Spokesperson, GarbaDeen Muhammad and issued on Monday.
It said preliminary investigations revealed that the crude oil cargo onboard was illegally sourced from a well jacket offshore Ondo State, Nigeria.
According to the Company, there was no valid documentation for the vessel or the crude oil cargo onboard at the time of the arrest.
It said further investigation into the activities of the vessel at the NNPC Ltd Command and Control Centre also revealed that the vessel has been operating in stealth mode in the last 12 years.
“The last reported location of the vessel was Tin Can Port in July 2011,” it stated.
However, it said details of the arrest and outcomes of the investigations were escalated to the appropriate government authorities, upon which it was concluded that the vessel be destroyed to serve as a strong warning and deterrent to perpetrators.
“Destroying vessels involved in transporting stolen crude oil is of paramount importance as a strong deterrent. 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.
“NNPC Ltd assures Nigerians that we will sustain the momentum in the war against crude oil theft until it is brought to a halt,” the statement reads.