Security Firm Raises Concern On Intercepted Vessel

Following the interception of a vessel allegedly carrying crude oil which was suspected to have been stolen in the Koko area of Delta State, Tantita Security Services has said the vessel was heading in the wrong direction and hence, raised suspicion.

A press release over the weekend by the security outfit, a private security company owned by Government Ekpemupolo, popularly called Tompolo, an ex-Niger Delta agitator who recently got a contract from the federal government to protect oil pipelines, said it had enough evidence to prove that the vessel was moving off direction.

It maintained that it had been collaborating well with security and government agencies, which has led to successes in the last one year.

The company said; “On the 1st of August, 2023, Tantita received credible intelligence that a vessel which had obtained NMDPRA approval to deliver HPFO from Koko to Lagos offshore would be proceeding in the opposite direction.

“On the 2nd of August, 2023 Tantita operatives approached the MT Praisel as it made its way through a creek in Delta State off Benin River. On board the vessel were naval personnel, while the Tantita inspection crew included officers and men from the Operation Delta Safe (the inter service task force for fighting crude oil deft, amongst other things in the Niger delta). The intelligence suggested that the vessel ought to be sailing to Lagos, but the master of the vessel indicated he was sailing to Bonny.

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“Tantita requested for the naval clearance and the documentation showed by the master of the vessel indicated Koko as port of discharge for storage only.”

“There was nothing indicating Bonny as port of discharge in that document. In line with standard procedure, Tanita requested for further clarification from the crew as to the discrepancy between NMDPRA permit and the naval clearance and permission to take samples of cargo on board. Understandably, this infuriated the naval personnel on board who requested Tanita personnel to immediately disembark from the vessel. Tanita had no option but to escalate the issue to higher authorities who mandated that the vessel be anchored off Escravos roads for further investigation.

“Tantita dispatched her personnel to collect samples from the vessel on the 3rd of August, 2023. Those present at the time of collection on the 3rd of August, 2023 were the Nigerian Navy, Tantita and the NSCDC. Tantita personnel were still on board the vessel collecting samples when the news broke in the media.

“The following day Tantita woke up to the Naval headquarters’ press statement which appears to indicate that the NMDPRA gave approval to the MT Praisel to proceed to Bonny for discharge.

We are yet to see that documentation and as we noted above the Nigerian Navy clearance we saw did not also state Bonny as port of discharge. There are many vessels plying this area but Tantita does not board them, intelligence has to be credible. In the circumstances, there were reasonable grounds to be suspicious of the movement of MT Praisel in the opposite direction from the NMDPRA clearance seen.