Crude Oil Theft: Nigerian Navy Arrests Norwegian Ship.

Caroline Ameh

A Norwegian Ship headed for Akpo field without any form of clearance or authorisation by the NNPC has been arrested in the Nigerian maritime environment by the Nigerian Navy.
According to the Nigerian Navy, the ship MT HEROIC IDUN entered the Nigerian maritime environment and headed for Akpo Field without any form of authorisation or clearance by the NNPC.

Naval Chief of Policy and Plans (CPPLANS) Sa’idu Garba, a Rear Admiral, made this known at a press briefing on Friday in Abuja.

Motor Tanker (MT) HEROIC IDUN, owned by Hunter Tankers AS, domiciled in Scandinavia, Norway, was in the country for illegally trying to lift crude oil.

The CPPLANS revealed that the ship arrived Akpo Field midnight on 7 August with the obvious intention of lifting crude oil within the field illegally but was stopped by the Nigerian Navy Maritime Domain Awareness.

“The outcome of all relevant enquiries from the controlling agency, NNPC Ltd, revealed that the vessel was not cleared to be in Akpo Oilfield.

“This revelation necessitated the deployment of the Nigerian Navy Inshore Patrol Craft, NNS GONGOLA, to investigate the super tanker’s activities at Akpo on 8 Aug 22. NNS GONGOLA arrive Akpo Oilfield and interrogated MT HEROIC IDUN, asking critical questions including her mission and approval status to enter Akpo Field among others,” he said.

He also revealed that the ship was later arrested at a location in Equatorial Guinea after a pursuit on the sea.