Mohammed Shosanya
Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited(TSSL),surveillance Security outfit owned by Chief Government Ekpemupolo alias “Tompolo” has arrested another vessel “MT Tura 11” for allegedly stealing 800,000 litres of crude oil.
The vessel was arrested in the early hours of last Friday on the high sea around Ondo State with 150 metric tonnes of stolen crude oil by the operatives of the security outfi after a weeklong surveillance on the illegal movements of the boat.
The vessel had once been arrested with the contents delivered to the the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) while same vessel was handed over to the security agencies but allegedly escaped from custody.
Speaking during an inspection of the vessel, anchored at Oporoza in Gbaramatu kingdom, Warri South West Local government area of Delta State, Captain Warredi Enisuoh, Executive Director, Technical and Operations,Tantita Security Services disclosed that the vessel was arrested with 13 crew members during a sting operation in Ondo State.
Captain Enisuoh further disclosed that Tantita had deployed both human and technical intelligence in monitoring the movements of the vessel until it was finally apprehended last weekend.
He said that the original name of the vessel was Ali-Riza-Bey but was altered to MT Tura 11 to evade the eagle eyes of security agencies, adding that “unknown to the perpetrators, we have been monitoring the movements of the vessel until we finally apprehend her off the coast in Ondo State “.
He affirmed that the vessel had onced been arrested for same crude theft but disappeared in mysterious circumstances, adding, “we are here with the same vessel committing same atrocity in nation’s territorial waters commiting same crime against Nigerian economy”.
He commended security agencies for their cooperation in the task to rid the maritime territory of Nigeria free of criminal activities, he disclosed that the arrested vessel was constructed in 1965.
Speaking on board the arrested vessel, MT Tura 11 at Oporaza, Rear Admiral Olusegun Ferreira, Commander, Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) who led other service chiefs to the scene, said that investigations is ongoing to unravel the perpetrators of the act.
Rear Admiral Ferreira warned criminals to avoid the nation’s economic facilities and maritime domain, he assured that long arms of the law will catch up with them.
