Nigerian Navy Breaks Silence Over Vessel Allegedly Carrying Stolen Crude

The Nigerian Navy has reacted to the allegation of a vessel allegedly carrying stolen crude that Tantita Security Services intercepted.

Naija News recalls that on Wednesday, news broke that a vessel carrying 8,100 barrels of crude oil believed to have been stolen was intercepted by a private security company owned by Government Ekpemupolo, popularly called Tompolo, an ex-Niger Delta agitator.

Tantita Security recently entered into an agreement with the federal government to fish and bring boom oil thieves into the country to account.

The private security had claimed that the 1,117-tonne vessel was purported to be flying a Togolese flag and was being escorted by a Navy boat led by a senior naval commander.

However, the Nigerian Navy has broken its silence over the allegation on Friday, saying the vessel was acting with authorization.

According to the Navy, on August 2, 2023, TSSL claimed to act on intelligence and alleged that the vessel was laden with stolen crude oil, Naija News learned.

The Naval Director of Information, Commodore, AO Ayo-Vaughan, opposed the notion that the vessel was acting without authorization.

He said, “To put the record straight and avoid the misrepresentation of facts to unsuspecting members of the public as portrayed, MT PRAISEL was duly approved by Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to load 1,114,721 Litres of High Pour Fuel Oil (HPFO) from Greenmac Energy Storage/Tarus Jetty Koko from 26 July – 8 August 2023,” the 

“This has been substantiated by NMDPRA. In line with Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and to ensure strict compliance with the NMDP.tubunh saved the reeub Hu approval, NN personnel were deployed onboard to monitor the discharge of the product by MT PRAISEL at a facility.

The security outfit was said to have then approached an element of Operation DELTA SAFE to board the vessel in order to verify the allegedly stolen product.

“Accordingly, the NN directed the vessel to Forward Operating Base ESCRAVOS anchorage for further investigation of the product onboard.

“The samples of the product onboard MT PRAISEL were collected on Thursday 3 August 2023 by 5 agencies including NNPCL, NMDPRA, and also TSSL in line with laid procedures for laboratory test and verification of the claim.”