Tantita Security Services Limited (TSSL), a private security firm engaged by NNPCL to fight against oil thieves in the Niger Delta region has arrested an ocean-going vessel conveying thousands of metric tonnes of ‘stolen crude’ oil offshore Bayelsa State.

The arrests came as the private security firm intensifies its onslaught on unyielding oil thieves in the Niger Delta.

According to Tantita, the vessel MT Kally, was apprehended during a joint operation by the officials of TSSL and operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), on the night of Friday January 12, 2024.

The engineer and captain of the vessel, who were identified by Tantita as Promise Eze and Adeboye David, respectively and their accomplices from some Bayelsa state oil communities were kept on board the vessel on Friday night as investigation of the vessel continued.

Tantita said before they were apprehended, the crew and their local accomplices were allegedly syphoning crude oil into the vessel from the offshore Sokebolou field in Bayelsa State. The security firm said the first manifold of the vessel was being loaded before the intervention of the security team.

On interrogation by Warredi Enisuoh, Executive Director, Tantita operations, Eze and Adeboye, said the vessel was mobilised from Lagos to transport crude oil illegally from offshore locations in Bayelsa state.

The two top vessel operatives said they departed Lagos following assurances by their boss, whom they declined to name, that all security agencies along the shore had been ‘settled’, thus allowing them to carry out their illegal business without hindrance.

Even though they refused to name the security agencies involved in the alliance, they revealed that they work for a company named San-San.

The vessel is currently anchored at a location of Nigerian National Petroleum NNPC Limited in Oporoza in Delta State with the suspects on board, said Enisuoh.

Picture: Ocean going vessel