The United States Coast Guard and Navy have seized a Nigerian-owned supertanker named Skipper on allegations of crude oil theft, piracy, and involvement in transnational crime. The vessel, a 20-year-old Very Large Crude Carrier, is reportedly owned and managed by Nigeria-based Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd. US authorities announced the operation under American law enforcement authority.
Beyond the alleged theft of crude oil, US security sources stated the vessel is also being investigated for transporting a large consignment of hard drugs and for operating within a money-laundering network backed by suspected Iranian and other Islamist-linked financiers.
The tanker was illegally flying the flag of Guyana at the time of its arrest, a fact confirmed by Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department, which stated the Skipper was not on its national ship registry.
The arrest of the vessel has raised serious concerns about the effectiveness of Nigeria’s maritime regulatory and security framework. Industry experts in Nigeria reacted with alarm, suggesting that if the vessel did originate from the country, it points to a critical weakness in Nigeria’s Port State Control regime.
The President of the Centre for Marine Surveyors noted this could lead to stricter scrutiny of all vessels leaving Nigerian waters by foreign authorities.
The incident underscores the persistent and costly problem of crude oil theft in Nigeria. The Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) had earlier this year disclosed that the country lost 13.5 million barrels of crude oil, worth an estimated $3.3 billion, to theft and sabotage in a single year. This lost revenue represents a massive drain on the national economy.
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) stated it had no official information on the incident, while other industry stakeholders called for stronger action from government agencies.
The seizure highlights ongoing challenges in securing Nigeria’s maritime domain and the international ramifications of illicit activities originating from the region.
