The Digest:
NIMASA has confirmed that the Nigerian-linked supertanker seized by U.S. authorities for alleged crude oil theft was last sighted in Nigerian waters in July 2024. According to the agency, the vessel's purported owner is not registered with Nigeria's maritime regulator.
Key Points :
- NIMASA confirmed the seized VLCC 'Skipper' was last in Nigerian waters on July 1, 2024
- The agency stated the vessel is not Nigerian-flagged and its owner, Thomarose Global Ventures, is not registered with it
- NIMASA's tracking showed the vessel operated in the Arabian Sea and Caribbean before U.S. interception
- The U.S. Treasury had previously sanctioned the vessel in 2022 for links to an Iranian oil smuggling network
- U.S., Nigerian Navy, and other agencies have begun a collaborative investigation into the allegations
- Former NIMASA DG Temisan Omatseye questioned the seizure, noting it occurred in international waters
- Industry and civil society groups call for greater transparency and action against international oil theft syndicates
When a vessel is intercepted far from shore, its last port of call becomes a point of scrutiny, linking nations to a chain of alleged crime that spans continents.
Sources: Vanguard Newspaper, The Nation
Read Also: US Seizes Nigerian-Owned Supertanker Over Alleged Crude Theft, Piracy
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