MT Tura Is A Serial Bunkering Vessel-Report

MT Tura II, the ship that was arrested with a reported 800,000 litres of crude oil, has been identified as MT ALLI-RIZA BEY, a vessel that was arrested by the Nigerian Navy in 2013 for oil theft and handed over to the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for safe keeping, pending the completion of invesigation.

It however, disappeared mysteriously without any trace.

The disclosure was made following investigations by security agencies after its arrest on July 17, 2023.

It has since been incinerated along with its illegal cargo.

Vanguard report indicates that MT Tura II, then MT ALLI-RIZA BEY, was apprehended by the NNS Cobra on July 28, 2013, twenty days short of ten years, while transferring petroleum product suspected to be Automative Gas Oil, AGO, to some smaller boats offshore Escravos.

According to the report, MT ALLI-RIZA BEY was arrested alongside six suspects and subsequently handed over to the EFCC on October 2, 2013, for further investigation and possible prosecution.

But it did not only disappear afterwards, it is also alleged that it has since then been involved in pilfering the country’s crude oil and selling same to buyers in neighbouring countries.

Investigations also show that the vessel was able to disappear from the EFCC custody because unscrupulous security operatives leaked information about it to its oil cabal operators. 

The report says the arrest of MT Tura II, with International Maritime Organization, IMO, number: 6620462, carrying 150,000 metric tons of illegal crude oil worth $86.8m, followed detailed tracking process put in place by the private security agency, Tantila Security Services Nigeria Limited, TSSNL, a private pipeline surveillance company, operated by the ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, aka, Tompolo, and hired by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company, the NNPC, Ltd, to help protect the nation's oil assets in the Niger Delta.

MT Tura II reportedly left Lagos for the pilferage presumably unknown to both the Navy and NIMASA despite their array of sophisticated tracking devices.

The movement was however, put under the radar by the TSSNL, following receipt of credible information from its operatives.

Convinced that MT Tura II had commenced its illegal mission, TSSNL, supported by operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, stormed the wellhead location where it was siphoning oil. It how evaded capture at the location haven received information that security operatives were on its trail.

In its desperation to leave, it abandoned its siphoning hose and other gadgets. The operators also left the wellhead unlock thus releasing tons of polluting oil into the environment.  

Not deterred, TSSNL operatives went on a chase and luckily caught up with the vessel at an offshore location described as Latitude: 5.8197194477543235°, Longitude: 4.789002723991871°, with both the Captain and crew members aboard.

MT Tura II, with registeration number RC813311, is reportedly owned and operated by a Nigerian registered company, Holab Maritime Services Ltd.