The Nigerian Navy has intercepted an oil product tanker, MT FILIA (IMO No. 8662684), carrying 650 metric tonnes of stolen crude oil valued in Akwa Ibom waters.
The vessel was arrested by the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) following credible intelligence.
The ENC Operations Officer, Commodore Abubakar Umar, who disclosed the arrest in Cross River, on Tuesday, July 28, said the vessel was intercepted during a naval operation aimed at curbing oil theft and other maritime crimes.
Umar said the tanker, which was sailing under the flag of São Tomé and Príncipe with 12 crew members onboard, was arrested on Thursday, July 23, within Nigerian waters.
He said preliminary investigations revealed that MT FILIA had loitered around offshore oil terminals in Akwa Ibom for more than seven days, waiting for an opportunity to access crude oil jackets.
According to him, the vessel later proceeded to one of the oil jackets, where it was suspected to have engaged in the illegal loading of the petroleum resource.
“At about 0400hrs on Thursday, July 23, MT FILIA departed the offshore oil terminal and proceeded seaward. Consequently, a navy patrol boat pursued and intercepted the vessel.
“On sighting the Nigerian Navy ship, the crew began discharging the stolen crude into the sea, causing maritime pollution,” Umar said.
He added that subsequent investigations showed that the captain of MT FILIA admitted that the vessel loaded approximately 650 metric tonnes of crude oil from the terminal, with an estimated value of over N660 million.
Umar noted that investigations were still ongoing to uncover further details surrounding the act and identify other individuals involved.
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