The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has reported the interception of a vessel conveying 800,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil from the shores of the country
The company’s Group General Manager, Corporate Communications Department, Mr. Garba Deen Muhammad, who gave this hint in a statement on Monday, indicated that the vessel and its crew members were apprehended on 7 July, by operatives of Messrs Tantita Security Services, a private security contractor engaged by the NNPCL, at an offshore location heading to Cameroon.
Muhammad stated that the Vessel, MT TURA II, IMO number: 6620462, was owned by a Nigerian company, Holab Maritime Services Limited, with Registration Number RC813311.
According to him, preliminary investigations showed that the crude oil cargo on-board was illegally sourced from a well jacket offshore in Ondo State, Nigeria.
He clarified: “There was no valid documentation for the Vessel or the Crude Oil Cargo on-board 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 has been operating in stealth mode for the last 12 years.
“The last reported location of the Vessel was Tin Can Port in July 2011”, Muhammad added.
The company’s spokesman further stated that the details of the arrest and the outcomes of the investigations had been sent to the appropriate government authorities, adding that this the investigations may lead to the destruction of the vessel to serve as a deterrent to all those participating in such illegal activities.
Muhammad expatiated: “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”, he added.
