The United States Coast Guard, working alongside the US Navy, has intercepted a Nigerian-owned supertanker, Skipper, over allegations bordering on crude oil theft, piracy and other transnational criminal activities. The operation, executed under American law enforcement authority, was publicly confirmed by US President Donald Trump.
The vessel, a 20-year-old Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) with IMO Number 9304667, is linked to a Nigerian firm, Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd., though registry documents list Triton Navigation Corp., based in the Marshall Islands, as the registered owner. Investigators disclosed that the tanker was flying the Guyanese flag illegally at the time it was seized.
The development comes amid renewed concerns over crude oil theft in Nigeria, particularly following revelations that the Federal Government spent approximately N17.5 trillion on pipeline protection and energy-security operations in the 2024 financial year—expenditures paid to private security outfits. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and several other stakeholders have repeatedly called for a forensic audit of the expenditure, citing persistent leakages, rampant theft, low production levels and what they describe as widespread opacity within the national oil company.
Despite the Federal Government’s engagement of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), an indigenous security firm widely recognised for its work safeguarding oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta, the latest incident has raised fresh questions about the effectiveness of ongoing security arrangements.
In a swift reaction, the Maritime Administration Department of Guyana (MARAD) disowned the seized vessel, confirming that Skipper was not listed on its national ship registry and had been flying the South American nation’s flag without authorisation.
US security sources further suggested that, beyond suspicions of stolen crude, the supertanker is being investigated for allegedly transporting a large consignment of hard drugs and for involvement in a wider network reportedly backed by suspected Iranian and Islamist-linked money-laundering financiers.
A search of corporate records at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Abuja revealed that Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd. is currently inactive. The company’s address is listed as 111 Jakpa Road, Effurun, Warri, Delta State, with CAC registration number 1007876. No contact phone numbers are associated with the firm.
Reacting to the development, the President of the Centre for Marine Surveyors Nigeria, Akin Olaniyan, told Vanguard that if the vessel indeed sailed from Nigeria before the interception, it would suggest critical gaps in Nigeria’s port management and regulatory oversight. “If the vessel emanated from Nigeria, it suggests our Port State Control is practically non-existent. It also means any vessel leaving Nigerian waters may come under stricter scrutiny by Port State Control authorities in other countries. This issue has nothing to do with Nigeria as a country, but with regulatory enforcement,” he said.
Also commenting, the National President of the Oil and Gas Service Providers Association of Nigeria (OGSPAN), Colman Obasi, expressed surprise at the revelations. “I have never heard that Nigeria has a supertanker and that it is not active in CAC. I don’t even know if stakeholders are aware. Anyway, the government and other agencies can do more,” he said.
The incident has further intensified scrutiny of Nigeria’s maritime governance structure, with industry observers calling for stronger oversight, improved vessel tracking, and a comprehensive review of security contracts linked to the nation’s oil assets.
