Operatives of Tantita Security Services Limited, the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) have arrested a massive vessel in the coastal waters of Ondo State.
Sources said the suspected vessel was sighted off the coast of Ondo State while loading crude from a well head. Investigations revealed that a combined team of soldiers, men of the NSCDC and Tantita operatives accosted the vessel which had naval personnel on board.
It was gathered that the Naval personnel refused a request by the NNPC that the vessel be moved to the NNPC jetty at Oporoza for a joint inspection.
However, a source said naval operatives on the vessel resisted the request, and insisted that the Navy arrested the vessel and was escorting it to one of its bases. The source said the Naval operatives have been shooting all day thereby causing yet another stand between Tantita, Army and the Navy.
The source added that the Tantita operatives who are enforcing a pipeline protection contract with the NNPC and the Federal Government, became worried when the Navy insisted that the vessel should not be taken for joint inspection.
There was mounting anxiety as at last night that the vessel might disappear without trace in the dead of night.
But the Navy accused Tantita Security Service (TSS) of aiding oil bunkering in Ondo State. It said despite the false alarm by the private security outfit, it could not absolve itself from the illegalities that happened around the Awoye riverine area of Ondo State which falls within its area of coverage.
A statement by the Naval spokesperson, Commodore Ayo-Vaughan, said it was after the vessel was arrested by its troops that TSS began to raise false alarm, which ‘is totally unfounded and indeed mischievous’.
The statement read: “Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base, (FOB) Igbokoda, Ondo State, about 3am on December 7, arrested a 77-meter-long Motor Tanker (MT) VINNALARIS 1 LAGOS, 7 nautical miles off the coast of Awoye riverine community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.
“The vessel had 17 crew members onboard at the time of arrest, and was caught engaging in illegal siphoning of crude oil from one of the well heads at EBESAN oil field.
“Notably, as the anti-Crude Oil Theft Patrol Team of FOB IGBOKODA approached MT VINNALARIS 1 LAGOS, the 2 x boats attached to the vessel fled on sighting the naval personnel which confirmed the engagement of the vessel in illegality.
“On arrival at the scene, it was discovered that the vessel was actively involved in siphoning crude oil from both sides of the well head. Upon further search and interrogation, it was further discovered that the vessel had 17 Nigerian crew members onboard. Its storage capacity is about 15,000 metric tonnes and, as at the time of arrest, she had loaded about 500 Metric tonnes of crude oil.”
