The Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Skipper (IMO 9304667), recently intercepted by the United States Coast Guard and U.S. Navy over alleged crude oil theft and transnational crimes, is not a Nigerian-flagged vessel.
NIMASA confirmed this in a statement Friday, December 12. Agency spokesman Edward Osagie clarified that the vessel was operating under a false Guyanese flag at the time of its seizure.
According to the agency, Thomarose Global Ventures Limited, the company claiming ownership of the Skipper, is not a registered shipping entity in Nigeria, according to the recent statement from NIMASA.
NIMASA’s statement indicated the agency actively tracks vessels through its sophisticated C4i Centre. Agency records show the vessel was ”last detected in Nigerian waters on July 1, 2024.
”It then followed an international route through the Arabian Sea in Asia and into the Caribbean, where the U.S. interdiction occurred.”
However, available records show Skipper, previously owned by Triton Navigation Corp., has a history of multiple name changes.
The Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, pledged full collaboration with U.S. authorities and relevant stakeholders during the ongoing investigation to determine the veracity of the allegations:
“Criminality will not be tolerated in Nigerian waters,”
Mobereola said.
