By Ovie Okpare
In renewed efforts to sustain their gain in the fight against crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, operatives of Tantita Security Services Limited (TSSL) have impounded a vessel suspected to be carrying stolen crude oil along the creeks of Bayelsa State.
TSSL, a private security company owned by former leader of the now defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Chief Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo, was contracted by the Federal Government to fight crude oil theft in the region.
The vessel identified as MT Kally was said to be carrying unspecified thousands of metric tonnes of crude oil at the time of its arrest by personnel of TSSL on Thursday.
MT Kally’s arrest is another major boost in the Federal Government’s quest to end crude oil theft in the country through the private security and community structure arrangement in the oil-rich region of the Niger Delta.
So far, the arrangement, has led to significantly improvement in the daily crude oil production in the country.
It was gathered that TSSL and operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were acting on intelligent report which led to the impounding of the loaded crude oil vessel.
The operatives also arrested crew members including the engineer and captain of the vessel, Promise Eze and Adeboye David, respectively.
Members of some oil communities in Bayelsa who alleged to be working with the crew members were arrested by the operatives while the team was siphoning crude oil onto the vessel from offshore Sokebolou field.
Sources within TSSL confirmed the arrested of the vessel to our correspondent, saying that the news of the arrest has been reported to the office of the National Security Officer (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
Upon interrogation, Eze and Adeboye had confessed to the Executive Director, Operations, TSSL, Captain Warriedi Enisuoh, that the crude oil on the vessel was a stolen product.
They disclosed that the vessel was mobilised from Lagos to load crude oil illegally from offshore locations in the Niger Delta region.
They also disclosed that they work for a company identified as San-San. Adding that they were in the region on the directive of their unnamed boss whom had assured them that security agencies have been briefed to give the vessel on unhindered access into the waterways.
TSSL’s Executive Director, Operations, Captain Enisuoh, who confirmed the arrest to newsmen, noted that the vessel has been moved to NNPCL in Oporoza in Warri South West LGA of Delta State for further investigation.
