David Adeboye, the captain of MT Kali, a vessel impounded by Tantita Security Services in Bayelsa State on Sunday, has said he does not know how crude oil got into his ship.
Captain revealed that he was mandated from Lagos to load Automative Gas Oil, AGO, (Diesel) in Bayelsa but cannot explain how the vessel was ladened with crude oil.
Adeboye spoke to journalists who were on tour of the impounded vessel at Oporoza, Delta State.
He said he was sent for the operation after a test-run of the vessel.
According to him, "The boat had been in Lagos for more than a year for maintenance. So when we came out, we were instructed to test run the two engines for about 10 miles.
"Afterwards, if we certify that it can go as far as Bayelsa, we should let them know.
"So after a test-run of two hours, I told them that one of the engines is not too good but we can manage it.
"So they gave us instruction that we should go to Bayelsa at Pennington bring back AGO.
"That was the instruction given to us and the agent who is supposed to connect us either to the ship. I don't really know much.
"So, when I got there, I dropped anchor and spoke with the agent, who also confirmed even in his statement that it was AGO that was originally planned for us to load.
"Therefore, at which point it turned to be crude oil; that's what I am battling to figure out."
The agent
However, Adeboye narrated that the agent was the person who brought the boys that loaded the vessel with crude oil.
According to him, "It was the agent that brought the boys. So when I saw them, I said that is okay.
"I tried to reach the management but because of where we were, the network was not good."
Tantita
Meanwhile, the Executive Director, Operations, Tantita, Captain Warriedi Enisuoh, said Tantita had intercepted the vessel weighing 3,000 tons loaded with approximately 119 tonnes of suspected stolen crude oil in Bayelsa State.
He said: "This ship left Lagos a couple of days and switched off it AIS.
"But we knew they were coming to Niger Delta.
"Further intelligence got to us that it is coming into the Pennington oil field to load illegal crude oil.
"In this particular incident, we got information that the ship is departing Lagos river for the Niger Delta.
"In description, Pennington is between Forupa, Letugbene, Ezetu, and Bilabiri. And these are Bayelsa communities.
"So, on getting to the environment, we knew that the closest persons that could respond effectively to the nefarious act of this ship would have been our base in Sokebolou.
"Sokebolou is our base, and that's where we launched for this operation.
"Hours before we arrived, we had to launch drones with inferred capability to detect night vision.
"On arrival, the drone picked up the body hit of the ship, and those who were presently carrying out the particular act.
"Ontop of the platform were three people who we would want to know because they are the persons of interest. They're experts. They're the ones who do the platform side of the job. That is, connecting the hose to discharge it contents from below the sea belts into the ship.
"In that particular region of 14 oil wells, the ship was able to detect which oil wells were hot enough to discharge its contents into the ship without the aid of mechanical pumps.
"So, that means they must have been very good.
"There must also be people who know that particular platform very well for the ship to stretch to and collect its contents.
"Investigation is ongoing," the Tantita man said.
The arrest
"On arrival, the Civil Defence was able to assist us in overpowering them.
"Yes, it is only fair that we allow the government security forces to do their job and effectively execute their jobs and are able to apprehend the ship.
"The crude oil is from one of the several platforms of Shell Petroleum Development Company located in the Pennington Oil Field located in: Lat 4° 37.946'N 005° 29.345'E."
The vessel, identified as MT Kali, with IMO No. 8782800, was intercepted at around 12:25 a.m. on Thursday.
It carried a crew of two members along with 13 community workers.
At the time of this report, the vessel was held at Tantita Operational Base in Oporoza, Gbaramatu Kingdom of Delta State.
Below is an image of Captain Adeboye and another of his ship:
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