In a joint operation, security operatives from the Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe, and Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited have taken decisive action against illicit activities in the oil sector.
The collaboration resulted in the incineration of a vessel transporting barrels of stolen crude oil in the Escravos area of Delta State.
Executing the operation with precision, a military helicopter was employed to set the vessel ablaze, thwarting the attempt to transport the contraband to Cameroon.
Reports indicate that the vessel, purportedly owned by a Nigerian registered company, was intercepted at an offshore location while the captain and crew members were still aboard.
The arrested vessel with the name “MT Tura ll” laden with 800,000 litres of stolen crude oil on Escravos sea was intercepted at Ondo state by Tantita security services in the early hours of Saturday and brought down to Oporosa in Gbaramatu, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.
Captain Warred Enisuoh, Executive Director of Operations and Technical at Tantita Security, together with Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira, Commander of the Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe, confirmed that the seized oil cargo had been unlawfully sourced from an offshore well in Ondo State.
The arrest occurred in the absence of valid documentation, underscoring the illegal nature of the operation.
Remarkably, the vessel had successfully evaded detection for an extended period of 12 years by adopting stealth tactics.
This revelation follows a string of alarming discoveries made by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited.
The security outfit, owned by former militant leader Government Ekpemepulo, also known as Tompolo, has been contracted by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
The destruction sparked public outcry, with some individuals criticising the decision to eliminate the vessel instead of preserving it as evidence for prosecuting the owners. Consequently, the House of Representatives has expressed its intention to investigate the circumstances surrounding the vessel’s destruction by security agents.
However, the Federal Government has defended the rapid destruction, citing compliance with the rules of engagement. General Lucky Irabor, the former Chief of Defence Staff, justified the incineration by stating that the vessel was caught in the act, leaving no room for further investigation before taking action.
