'Suspected illegally-refined diesel boat held' - NNPCL

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, has announced that a tugboat carrying suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil, popularly called diesel, has been arrested by operatives of Tantita Security Services Limited.

According to the NNPCL, the tugboat was being escorted by a marine police boat before it was arrested by the security outfit.

The NNPCL added that five persons on the boat were currently being interrogated by Tantita; a security company based in Warri, Nigeria.

Tantita works critically with the oil and gas sector, and offers security solutions specifically designed for oil and gas assets.

In a documentary shared by the national oil company on Tuesday, highlighting the NNPCL’s war on crude oil theft, the firm revealed that it recorded 155 oil theft incidents in one week.

The firm said: “On Monday, April 1, 2024, Tantita Security Services team on patrol pursued and arrested a tugboat – Aya Oba Olori II, which was being escorted by a marine police boat in Rivers State.

“The tugboat was laden with an unspecified quantity of suspected illegally refined AGO which was loaded from a barge at Onne dock on March 31.

"Five persons onboard the tugboat were arrested by Tantita team and are undergoing interrogation.

“Between March 30 and April 5, 2024, a total of 155 incidents were recorded across several locations in the Niger Delta region from various incident sources.”

NNPCL continued that it recorded 53 illegal connections, discovered 36 illegal refineries and 32 wooden fibre boats, identified 14 pipeline vandalism cases, eight vessel infractions and four oil spills, as well as making seven vehicle and one vessel arrests.

Some of the incident sources include the Nigeria Agip Oil Company, Tantita Security Services Ltd, NNPCL Command and Control Centre, Shell Petroleum Development Company, and NNPCL 18 Operating Ltd, among others.