WorldStage– The Management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has reacted to 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, saying is not a Nigerian-flagged vessel.
NIMASA is a statement on Friday insisted 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.”
NIMASA said an analysis of the vessel’s movement, monitored through its Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Intelligence (C4i) Centre, showed that it was last sighted in Nigerian waters on 1st July 2024.
“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,” the statement said.
“Records indicate that SKIPPER which was formerly owned by Triton Navigation Corp, has undergone multiple name changes over time.”
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 emphasized that criminality will not be tolerated in Nigerian waters.
