The Tanita Security Services, a private security company owned by ex-Niger Delta agitator Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo has discovered a suspicious vessel loaded with Crude Oil in the Koko area of Delta State.
On Wednesday, the security outfit intercepted MT Praisel, a vessel suspected of carrying stolen crude oil, which was being escorted by a contingent of naval officers.
The vessel, flying a Togolese flag, carried a cargo of approximately 8,100 barrels of crude oil, weighing 1,117 tons.
The interception was not without its challenges as the Tanita operatives faced resistance from the naval officers escorting the vessel. Undeterred, the private security personnel persisted and escalated the situation by contacting the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, who granted authorization for the inspection.
Upon boarding the vessel, the Tanita Security Services discovered that the vessel possessed clearance from the navy but lacked approvals from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
This discrepancy raised suspicions about the legitimacy of the vessel’s cargo, adding weight to the Federal Government’s concerns about the illegal trade of stolen crude oil.
The interception of MT Praisel comes at a time when the Federal Government has been grappling with the immense economic losses caused by the illegal trade of stolen crude oil, estimated at N2.3 trillion in just 12 months.