Vessel Arrested In US Not Nigerian Flagged — NIMASA

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), on Friday, said that the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) SKIPPER with IMO Number 9304667, arrested by the US Navy for alleged crude theft and other transnational crimes, was not Nigerian-flagged ship.

In a press statement by the Deputy Director, Public Relations, Osagie Edward, NIMASA said the purported owners of the vessel, Thomarose Global Ventures Limited, were not registered with NIMASA as a shipping company in Nigeria.

According to Osagie, the vessel was last sighted on Nigerian waters on July 1, 2024, saying the vessel has continued its international voyage pattern and was tracked operating in the Arabian Sea (Asia) and later in the Caribbean region.

“The attention of the Management of NIMASA has been drawn to media reports stating that the United States Coast Guard, in collaboration with the U.S. Navy, intercepted a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) SKIPPER with IMO Number 9304667, alleged to be Nigerian-owned and involved in crude oil theft and other transnational crimes.

“NIMASA wishes to put on record that the VLCC SKIPPER is not a Nigerian-flagged vessel, and its purported owners, Thomarose Global Ventures Limited, are not registered with NIMASA as a shipping company.

“An analysis of the vessel’s movement, monitored through the Agency’s Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Intelligence (C4i) Centre, shows that the vessel was last sighted in Nigerian waters on 1st July 2024.”

“After departing Nigerian waters, the vessel continued on its international voyage pattern and was tracked operating in the Arabian Sea (Asia) and later in the Caribbean region, where the U.S. interdiction eventually took place,” he stated.

Osagie stated further that the Director General of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, has expressed readiness to collaborate with U.S. authorities, saying criminality will not be tolerated in Nigerian waters.

Records indicate that SKIPPER, which was formerly owned by Triton Navigation Corp, has undergone multiple name changes over time.

“The DG of NIMASA, Dr Dayo Mobereola, reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to collaborate with all relevant stakeholders, including U.S. authorities, in the ongoing investigations. He emphasised that criminality will not be tolerated in Nigerian waters,” Osagie stated.