Oil theft: Tantita officers, NSCDC, army arrest another vessel in Ondo

The operatives of the Tantita Security Services Limited, the Nigerian Army, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have arrested a massive vessel in the coastal waters of Ondo State.

Authoritative sources stated with video evidence that the suspected vessel was sighted off the coast of Ondo State while loading crude from a wellhead.

It was gathered that a combined team of soldiers, NSCDC officers, and Tantita operatives accosted the vessel which had naval personnel on board.

It was learnt that the naval officers refused a request by the NNPCL that the vessel be moved to the NNPCL jetty at Oporoza for a joint inspection.

READ ALSO: Navy rescues Cameroonian fishing vessel after drifting for one month

However, a source stated that naval operatives on the vessel resisted the request insisting that the navy was the one which arrested the vessel and was escorting it to one of its bases.

The source said the naval operatives have been shooting all day thereby causing another standoff between Tantita, army, and the navy.

The source said the Tantita operatives who were enforcing a pipeline protection contract with the NNPCL and the federal government became worried when the navy insisted that the vessel should not be taken for joint inspection.

Video evidence provided by the sources revealed that the naval operatives fired gunshots to ward off the Tantita officers and soldiers from accessing the vessel.

See the videos below:

The Star