The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has denied reports suggesting that Nigeria is linked to the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) MV Skipper, which was recently seized by United States forces over allegations of crude oil theft and other transnational crimes.
In a statement released on Friday, NIMASA clarified that the 20-year-old tanker, with IMO Number 9304667, is neither registered under the Nigerian flag nor authorised to operate as a Nigerian vessel.
The agency explained that checks conducted on Nigeria’s official ship registry confirmed that the MV Skipper does not appear on its records. NIMASA also disclosed that the vessel’s purported owners, Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd., a Lagos-based firm, are not registered with the agency as a licensed shipping company.
According to NIMASA, further findings revealed that the tanker was intercepted in international waters and was illegally flying the Guyanese flag at the time of its seizure.
The agency stressed that Nigeria has no connection to the vessel or the alleged criminal activities, urging the public to disregard reports attempting to link the country to the incident.
