Oil theft: Tantita, NSCDC impound crude laden vessel

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

The Tantita Security Services Limited (TSSL) has impounded MT Kally, an ocean-going vessel laden with suspected stolen crude oil in Bayelsa barely 24 hours after the Nigerian Navy launched “Operation Delta Sanity” in Warri.

The vessel, laden with yet-to-be ascertained volume of crude estimated to be in the region of thousands of metric tonnes of crude was impounded on Thursday in a joint operation by the officials of TSSL and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

TSSL is a private security outfit owned by a former militant leader in the Niger Delta, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.

A statement issued by TSSL on Saturday indicates that the crew of the vessel and their accomplices were caught syphoning crude oil onto the vessel from offshore Sokebolou field in Bayelsa.

Executive Director, Operations, TSSL, Captain Warriedi Enisuoh issued the statement.

The Sokebolou fields between Bayelsa and Delta boundaries cut across Oil Mining Lease (OMLs) 43 and 45 operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

According to the statement, on board the vessel were the engineer and captain of the vessel, Promise Eze and Adeboye David respectively as well as some of the accomplices, who were members of some oil communities in Bayelsa

The statement noted that the preliminary report revealed that the first manifold of the vessel was being loaded before the intervention of the security team.

It was learnt the TSSL had intimated the incident to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL)

The Executive Director, Operations, TSSL, Captain Warriedi Enisuoh interrogated Eze and Adeboye.

The duo confessed that the vessel was mobilised from Lagos to load crude oil illegally from offshore locations in Bayelsa State.

According to them, they departed Lagos following assurances by their boss whom they declined to mention name.

“That all security agencies along the shore have been compromised to give them unfettered passage to carry out the illicit business.

“But they also refused to name the security agencies involved in the unholy alliance. They gave their company’s name as San-San,” Enisuoh said.

He also said that the vessel had been anchored at a location of NNPCL in Oporoza in Delta adding that the suspects were kept on board the vessel as investigations continue.

It will be recalled that the “Operation Delta Sanity” was launched on Wednesday in Warri by the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla to further combat crude oil theft and other criminalities in the maritime space.

Sources at the Bayelsa Command of the NSCDC confirmed that personnel from the command were deployed for the ongoing four-day surveillance operation.

“The operation is ongoing and is expected to be on for four days, a houseboat is deployed for the operation and so the team spends the nights during the entire operation,” the source who spoke anonymously said.