Alleged Crude Oil Theft: US Impounds Nigerian-Owned Supertanker
By Naija Enquirer Staff
The United States Coast Guard, working alongside the US Navy, has impounded a Nigerian-owned supertanker, Skipper, over allegations of crude oil theft, piracy, and involvement in other transnational crimes.
The 20-year-old Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), with IMO Number 9304667, is owned and managed by Nigeria-based Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd., though officially registered under Triton Navigation Corp., a company domiciled in the Marshall Islands.
Authorities said the vessel was illegally flying the Guyanese flag during the arrest. Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) confirmed that the ship is not on its registry and was using the flag without approval.
US security sources stated that the operation was carried out under American law enforcement authority, with former US President Donald Trump announcing the seizure. Apart from suspected stolen crude, the vessel is also under investigation for allegedly transporting a large consignment of hard drugs and operating within a network linked to suspected Iranian and Islamist-backed money-laundering financiers.
Checks at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Abuja revealed that Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd. is currently listed as inactive. The firm’s registered address is 111 Jakpa Road, Effurun, Delta State, with CAC registration number 1007876. No active phone numbers are associated with the company.
Experts Raise Concerns Over Port State Oversight
Reacting to the development, President of the Centre for Marine Surveyors Nigeria, Engr. Akin Olaniyan, said that if the vessel originated from Nigeria, it exposes serious weaknesses in Nigeria’s Port State Control regime.
“If the vessel emanated from Nigeria, it suggests our Port State Control is practically non-existent. It also means vessels leaving Nigerian waters may face tighter scrutiny abroad. This is not about Nigeria as a country but about regulatory enforcement,” he said.
Mazi Colman Obasi, National President of the Oil and Gas Service Providers Association of Nigeria (OGSPAN), expressed shock, noting: “I have never heard that Nigeria has a supertanker that is inactive in CAC. Government agencies can definitely do more.”
President of the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Otunba Sola Adewumi, said he could not comment until he received more details. Former NIMASA Director-General Mr. Temisan Omatseye also stated that he had only just been informed of the arrest.
NIMASA spokesman, Mr. Edward Osagie, said the agency had no official information yet and requested a formal enquiry for proper response.
Industry Analysts Call for Stronger Oversight
A Port Harcourt-based energy analyst lamented ongoing maritime infractions despite multiple agencies and private contractors operating in the sector.
“We expected oil theft and illegal activities to drastically reduce. It is surprising that such cases persist. All agencies need to do more. No nation can progress if its citizens continue to steal its crude,” he said.
