Vessel conveying 80k litres of ‘stolen crude’ arrested in Bayelsa

Tantita Security Services Limited (TSSL), a private security firm, says its operatives have intercepted a vessel conveying about 80,000 litres of stolen products suspected to be crude oil in Bayelsa.

Warredi Enisuoh, TSSL executive director, operations and technical, on Tuesday, said the ship was apprehended in the early hours of Sunday in Bayelsa and conveyed to Oporoza, Warri south-west LGA of Delta state.

Enisuoh said a Moldovan sea cargo vessel known as MT Harbor Spirit with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) number: 8226272, was caught while loading crude oil from the Segana oil field on the coast of Bayelsa.

He said the arrest was carried out by the joint operation of TSSL and the military, having been on the trail of the vessel for a while before the seizure.

Enisuoh added that 12 Nigerians were aboard the ship before the vessel was seized.

“Our detection systems found it nosing around Sagana oil fields Bayelsa and what had happened there was that we swung into action and discovered that they made a fast one on the oil platforms there. And let me put on record that they cooperated and we were able to apprehend and arrest them,” NAN quoted Enisuoh as saying.

“So we have taken soundings of the contents but the estimate is that it has got about 80,000 litres and not that we could not have allowed it to take more, but that is not the objective.

“The objective is to prevent them from doing that, so what they do is they show their motive and intention.”

Enisuoh said the arrest was in line with the charge from Christopher Musa, the chief of defence staff (CDS), to “deal decisively” with crude oil theft.

“One of his watchwords is that we are working in synergy with the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army, the police, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Service,” he said.

“What we are seeing today is the result of the instruction which was supported by the chief of naval staff (CNS), vice adm. Emmanuel Ogalla that led to the arrest.

“We appreciate the synergy and cooperation we have with the security forces, particularly, the support from the CDS and CNS.

“More of the arrest is taking place in Bayelsa probably because the perpetrators have found a porous ground.

“Probably, the synergy between TSSL and the military has pushed them out of the land, though not totally eroded of the problem in the land.”

On his part, Shittu Joseph, the captain of the ship, said there were 15 men onboard noting that three of them jumped into the sea.

Joseph said those who jumped into the sea are yet to be found, adding that the vessel belongs to Joju Oil and Gas, a firm based in Lagos state.

“We were instructed to go and load sludge and crude oil from a barge. On our way going, they told us that one person will come on board,” Joseph said.

“We were not pleased with the arrangement, we wanted to leave but while waiting for a boat to take us away, the NSCDC and TSSL officials came to arrest us.”