Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has intercepted a vessel conveying 800,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil at an offshore location heading to Cameroon.
The vessel and its crew members were uncovered on July 7, 2023, by operatives of Messrs Tantita Security Services, a private security contractor engaged by NNPCL.
Named MT TURA II, IMO number: 6620462, the vessel was owned by a Nigerian company, HOLAB MARITIME SERVICES LIMITED with Registration Number RC813311.
Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPCL, Mr Garba Muhammad stated on Monday in Abuja that preliminary investigations revealed that the crude oil cargo on-board was illegally sourced from a well jacket offshore in Ondo State.
He noted that there was no valid documentation for the vessel or the Crude Oil Cargo on-board at the time of the arrest.
Muhammad hinted that further investigation into the activities of the vessel at NNPCL Command and Control Centre also revealed that it has been operating in stealth mode for the last 12 years.
He informed that the last reported location of the vessel was Tin Can Port in July 2011, adding that the details of the arrest and outcome of the investigations were disseminated to the appropriate government authorities.
This, he said became necessary in order to destroy the vessel, so as to serve as a strong warning and deterrent to all those participating in such illegal activities.
Muhammad was emphatic that destroying vessels involved in transporting stolen crude oil would pass a strong message to oil bunkerers.
He lamented that illegal trading of stolen crude oil not only inflicted economic losses on Nigeria and legitimate stakeholders in the industry, but also widened corruption, environmental devastation and social instability.
The image maker assured Nigerians that NNPCL would sustain the momentum in the war against crude oil theft until it is halted.
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