The management of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL, the private security firm engaged by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, in the war against oil theft in the Niger Delta region, has released a press statement revealing its position in the controversy surrounding the interception of an oil vessel, MT PRAISEL on August 3, 2023, in Escravos, Delta State.

Recall that Sub-sea Ocean Limited, owners of MT PRAISEL transporting 1,114,721 litres of crude, had threatened, in a letter on Friday, August 4, signed by the company’s secretary, Paul Ishabor, to take legal action against Tantita for accusing the vessel that is under hire with Stratos Trading Limited on a charter party agreement dated July 25, 2023, of crude oil theft.

According to Tantita's press statement released on Saturday, August 5, 2023, discrepancies in the documentation of the vessel's port of discharge led to its interception by Tantita's personnel after receiving orders from superior authorities occasioned by resistance of naval personnel on board the vessel.

Tantita, who noted that its success in the fight against oil theft in the region is largely attributed to the collaboration with it and various Government Security Agencies, GSAs, particularly as security agents have paid with their lives in the course of duty, reaffirms its commitment to continue to partner with the GSAs.

However, the private security company vowed to ensure that the region is free from oil theft, as it denounced a situation whereby "the small fry is chased out of the illegal business only for the big fish to remain in business" and as such it will not condone any illegality from any quarter.

Recounting the details of the events that took place regarding the interception of MT PRAISEL, Tantita, in the press statement, said: "...on the 1st of August 2023, Tantita received credible intelligence that a vessel which had obtained NMDPRA approval to deliver HPFO from Koko to LAGOS OFFSHORE would be proceeding in the opposite direction. On the 2nd of August 2023, Tantita operatives approached the MT PRAISEL as it made its way through a creek in Delta State off Benin River. On board the vessel were naval personnel, while the Tantita inspection crew included officers and men from the Operation Delta Safe (the inter service task force for fighting crude oil theft, amongst other things in the Niger Delta).

"The intelligence suggested that the vessel ought to be sailing to Lagos, but the Master of the vessel indicated he was sailing to Bonny. Tantita requested for the naval clearance and the documentation showed by the Master of the vessel indicated Koko as port of discharge for storage only, there was nothing indicating Bonny as port of discharge in that document. In line with standard procedure, Tantita requested for further clarification from the crew as to the discrepancy between NMDPRA permit and the naval clearance and permission to take samples of cargo on board. Understandably, this infuriated the naval personnel on board who requested Tantita personnel to immediately disembark from the vessel. Tantita had no option but to escalate the issue to higher authorities who mandated that the vessel be anchored off Escravos roads for further investigation.

“Tantita dispatched her personnel to collect samples from the vessel on the 3rd of August 2023. Those present at the time of collection on the 3rd of August 2023 were the Nigerian Navy, Tantita and the NSCDC. Tantita personnel were still on board the vessel collecting samples when the news broke in the media.”

Continuing, the statement further reads: "The following day, Tantita woke up to the Naval Headquarters’ press statement which appears to indicate that the NMDPRA gave approval to the MT PRAISEL to proceed to Bonny for discharge. We are yet to see that documentation, and as we noted above, the Nigerian Navy clearance we saw did not also state Bonny as port of discharge. There are many vessels plying this area but Tantita does not board them, intelligence has to be credible.

"In the circumstances, there were reasonable grounds to be suspicious of the movement of MT PRAISEL in the opposite direction from the NMDPRA clearance seen. Contrary to the Naval Headquarters’ press release on the issue of who was present on Thursday, the 3rd of August 2023, it was on Friday, the 4th of August 2023, that a staff of NMDPRA first came on board to take samples from the cargo holds for laboratory analysis.

"While it is our honest belief that the Naval Headquarters’ press statement was actuated by the best motives, clearly there are questions which beg for answers. For example, why is NMDPRA approved port of discharge (Lagos Offshore) different from the Navy clearance (Koko as storage) and why are both different from the port of discharge indicated in the Naval press statement (Bonny)?

"In the course of several joint meetings we have consistently asked for a single clearing house for all approvals so that each agency of government can see what the other is approving/has approved.

"We are all aware that unscrupulous elements can take advantage of existing gaps in procedures to clandestinely transport and sell stolen crude and illegally refined products. For example, a truck can load legitimate products at a licensed depot and pass on its papers and license plates to another truck carrying illegal products at a side road and if we rely on the papers alone, the illegal cargo with the legitimate papers would beat the system. Same for motor tanker vessels.

"At Tantita, it is our resolve that we will not allow a situation where the small fry is chased out of the illegal business only for the big fish to remain in business. A single 10 tonner vessel will do more damage to our economy in a single voyage than 1000 dugout canoes carrying jerrycans. And while the illegality with the dugout canoe is a crime of need, the illegality with the 10 tonner vessel is a crime of greed," it stated.

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