EFCC intercepts vessel with stolen crude oil

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPC Ltd.) has hired a private security company to intercept a ship carrying 800,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil.

On July 7, agents of Messrs. Tantita Security Services detained the ship and its crew at a place offshore while they were travelling to Cameroon.

This was stated in a statement released by Mr. Garba Muhammad, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPCL, on Monday in Abuja.

He clarified that the Nigerian business HOLAB MARITIME SERVICES LIMITED, with Registration Number RC813311, owned the vessel, MT TURA II, with the IMO number 6620462.

He claimed that initial investigations had shown that the crude oil shipment on board had been illegally obtained from a well jacket offshore in the Nigerian state of Ondo.

“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,’’ he said.

He added that the relevant government authorities had been informed about the arrest's specifics and the findings of the investigations.

He explained that the goal was to destroy the Vessel in order to issue a stern warning and act as a deterrent to anyone engaging in such unlawful actions.

He asserts that burning the vessels used to transport stolen crude oil is crucial for serving as a potent 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,’’ he said.

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