The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has condemned reports that state that a very large crude carrier ,VLCC SKIPPER which was interpreted by the United States Coast Guard, in collaboration with the U.S. Navy, is not a Nigerian-flagged vessel, and its purported owners, Thomarose Global Ventures Limited, are not registered with NIMASA as a shipping company.
The NIMASA Deputy Director/Head, Public Relations, Osagie Edward who made the clarification in a press release stated that an analysis of the vessel’s movement, monitored through the Agency’s Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Intelligence (C4i) Centre, shows that the vessel was last sighted in Nigerian waters on 1st July 2024.
He noted that after departing Nigerian waters, the vessel continued on its international voyage pattern and was tracked operating in the Arabian Sea (Asia) and later in the Caribbean region, where the U.S. interdiction eventually took place.
Osagie disclosed that records indicate that SKIPPER which was formerly owned by Triton Navigation Corp, has undergone multiple name changes over time.
He added that the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to collaborate with all relevant stakeholders, including U.S. authorities, in the ongoing investigations. He also emphasised that criminality will not be tolerated in Nigerian waters.
“The attention of the Management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has been drawn to media reports stating that the United States Coast Guard, in collaboration with the U.S. Navy, intercepted a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) SKIPPER with IMO Number 9304667, alleged to be Nigerian-owned and involved in crude oil theft and other transnational crimes.
“NIMASA wishes to put on record that the VLCC SKIPPER is not a Nigerian-flagged vessel, and its purported owners, Thomarose Global Ventures Limited, are not registered with NIMASA as a shipping company.”, he wrote.
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