By Enyichukwu Enemanna
A confiscated ship with an undisclosed barrels of stolen crude oil in the Escravos area of Delta State, South South Nigeria, has been set ablaze by a Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe, in collaboration with Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) a private security firm engaged by Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) to protect oil facilities.
The vessel set ablaze by a military helicopter, was arrested on Friday. It allegedly belongs to a Nigerian registered company and heading to Cameroon with the cargo onboard when it was apprehended at an offshore location, with the captain and crew members onboard.
The oil cargo was illegally sourced from a well-jacketed offshore in Ondo State, South West Nigeria, with no valid documentation at the time of the arrest, Executive Director of Operations and Technical at Tantita Security, Captain Warred Enisuoh and the Commander of the Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira stated.
It had operated in stealth mode for the last 12 years, the security forces stated.
The discovery was the latest in the series of disturbing findings by the Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, a security outfit owned by an ex-agitator Government Ekpemepulo aka Tompolo and contracted by the NNPC Limited.
