The Nigerian Navy has denied an allegation that a vessel carrying stolen crude oil was intercepted by Tantita Security Services in Delta State.
The security outfit, owned by Ekpemupolo, famously known as Tompolo, is a private security company that protects oil pipelines. The 1,117-tonne vessel was allegedly carrying about 8,100 barrels of crude.
The Navy, in a statement, denied the vessel was acting without authorization. The vessel, MT Praisel, was approved by the 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 July 26 to August 8, 2023.
Tantita Security officials said the vessel was flying a Togolese flag and was escorted by a Navy boat led by a senior naval commander. On August 2, 2023, TSSL claimed intelligence on a vessel carrying stolen crude oil. The Navy approached Operation Delta Safe to verify the product.
The vessel was directed to the Forward Operating Base ESCRAVOS anchorage for further investigation. Samples of the product were collected by five agencies, including NNPCL, NMDPRA, and TSSL, in accordance with laboratory testing procedures.
