A joint military task force has successfully intercepted a vessel carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil in Ondo State, Nigeria.
Warredi Enisuoh, the operations manager of Tantita Security Services Limited, revealed that his organization provided crucial intelligence that led to the arrest of the vessel by security operatives.
While the vessel was apprehended along the Ondo coastline, it was subsequently transported to Oporoza, Delta State, to be presented to the public.
Enisuoh stated that the vessel had changed its name to MT Tura II after initially registering in Togo, and that security forces had previously arrested the ship. He described the vessel as notorious for stealing Nigerian crude oil and transporting it to foreign countries.
“It was a joint operation, with the NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation) at the forefront of battling crude oil theft. The military has also been very supportive in this fight. We received intelligence on this vessel a long time ago,” Enisuoh explained.
Despite the ship’s evasion of capture in the past, the current operation, bolstered by intelligence and the military’s support, successfully brought the vessel to justice on July 7, 2023.
Enisuoh noted that the vessel lacked documentation regarding its presence in Nigerian waters and had been evading capture for an extended period.
The interception of this vessel marks a significant step in the ongoing efforts to combat crude oil theft in Nigeria.
