There are indications that the arrested foreign super tanker, MT Heroic Idun and its crew will soon be brought back to Nigeria to face the laws of the land.
A source in the Nigerian Navy told LEADERSHIP Sunday, said the agency was working with the Equatorial Guinea Navy, to bring the vessel and her crew to the country for prosecution.
It would be recalled that MT Heroic Idun was arrested on August 12, 2022 in Equitorial Guinea waters, shortly after fleeing Nigeria on the fake alarm that it was being pursued by sea pirates.
Addressing newsmen recently, the Chief of Policy and Plans, Navy Headquarters, Rear Admiral Seidu Garba, said based on relevant enquiries from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, the arrested foreign tanker, MT Heroic Idun, was not cleared to be in Akpo Oilfield.
Garba stated that the super tanker, which disobeyed a directive from the Nigerian Navy to return to Bonny anchorage for interrogation, was later arrested in the Equatoria Guinea waters with the help of sister agencies within the Gulf of Guinea region.
He further stated that the Captain of the vessel refused to corporate with Nigerian Navy Inshore Patrol Craft (NNS Gongola) but raised international alarm that the tanker was being pursued by sea pirates.
The Naval Chief said: “While conducting routine monitoring of the maritime domain, on 07 August 2022, it was observed that a very large crude oil carrier MT HEROIC IDUN entered the Nigerian maritime environment and headed for Akpo Field without any form of authorisation or clearance.
“MT HEROIC IDUN (IMO: 9858058) is registered in Marshall Island with an overall length of 336-meter and capacity of barrels. The vessel arrived Akpo Field midnight on August 7, 2022 with the obvious intention of lifting crude oil within the Field, albeit, illegally.
“This was, however, spotted by the Nigerian Navy Maritime Domain Awareness facility which probed the legitimacy of the Very Large Crude Carrier’s presence in the Total SA operated Akpo Field. The outcome of all relevant enquiries from the controlling agency, NNPC Ltd, revealed that the vessel was not cleared to be in Akpo Oilfield.
“This revelation necessitated the deployment of the Nigerian Navy Inshore Patrol Craft, NNS GONGOLA, to investigate the super tanker’s activities at Akpo on August 8, 2022, NNS GONGOLA arrived Akpo Oilfield and interrogated MT HEROIC IDUN, asking critical questions including her mission and approval status to enter Akpo Field among others.
“The Captain of the vessel duly responded to the questions and further stated that MT HEROIC IDUN was without relevant clearance to operate in the Field. Accordingly, the vessel was ordered to turn around and follow NNS GONGOLA to Bonny anchorage pending when she will be cleared for loading by NNPC Ltd.
“However, the Captain after contacting the Master/Shipping Agent refused to cooperate with NNS GONGOLA and stated that she had been told not to take directives from the Nigerian Navy Ship. Thereafter, she engaged full speed southwards towards the Sao Tome and Principe maritime area in a bid to evade arrest.
“Apart from refusing lawful arrest, the Captain of the vessel made a broadcast of false piracy attack call to IMB Piracy Reporting Centre to mislead mariners that NNS GONGOLA was a pirate vessel and possibly concoct an alibi for her desperate action.
“On the piracy alert the Nigerian Navy also through international collaboration alerted relevant piracy reporting centres through CRESMAO and ECOWAS ZONE F Cotonou headed by Nigerian Navy officers for the alert to be cancelled immediately which was done. Permit me to mention here that Nigeria has not recorded any piracy attack in its waters in over one year.
“Hence, this mischievous act by the ship is clearly aimed at tarnishing the good image of the maritime domain of Nigeria, which we have worked vert hard to achieve.
“The brazen act of defiance to constituted authority by the Captain of the vessel necessitated the Nigerian Navy to invoke the collaboration of neighbouring Equatorial Guinea through the Yaoundé Architecture to arrest the vessel as we noticed that it stopped making way in the Equatoria Guinea waters.
“I must state that the Nigerian Navy surveillance facility was used to track and constantly update the Equatorian Guinea Navy on the location of the rogue vessel. The Equatorial Guinea Amphibious Ship, CAPTAIN DAVID was therefore vectored to intercept and arrest MT HEROIC IDUN on 12 Aug 22.
“The vessel is currently being held at the Luba Anchorage in Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea where the country is conducting her own investigations while we await diplomatic procedures for handing over to the Nigerian Navy.”
