A major international incident has unfolded after a Nigerian-owned supertanker, Skipper, was intercepted by the United States Coast Guard and the US Navy over allegations of crude oil theft, piracy, and links to transnational criminal networks.
The operation, which was personally announced by President Donald Trump, has sparked intense debate across Nigeria’s maritime and oil sectors.
According to US authorities, the Very Large Crude Carrier was stopped while illegally flying the Guyanese flag.
However, Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department quickly denied any ties to the vessel, confirming that Skipper was not listed in its ship registry.
The tanker is reportedly managed by Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd., although its registered ownership traces to Triton Navigation Corp. in the Marshall Islands.
Furthermore, American security sources revealed that investigators are examining suspected dealings linked to stolen crude, hard drugs, and a money-laundering network allegedly involving Iranian and Islamist financiers.
The development has raised questions about how such a large vessel could depart Nigeria without detection.
A search of Corporate Affairs Commission records showed that Thomarose is inactive, adding to the confusion surrounding the company’s true operations.
Its listed address, 111 Jakpa Road in Warri, was confirmed, but no contact numbers were found.
Reacting to the incident, President of the Centre for Marine Surveyors Nigeria, Engr. Akin Olaniyan, stated: “If the vessel emanated from Nigeria, it suggests our Port State Control is practically non-existent.”
He warned that Nigerian-flagged or Nigerian-linked vessels may now face stricter checks abroad.
In addition, the National President of OGSPAN, Mazi Colman Obasi, said the development was surprising.
“I have never heard that Nigeria has a supertanker and that it is not active in CAC. Anyway, the government and other agencies can do more,” he said.
Meanwhile, SOAN President Otunba Sola Adewumi requested more time to verify the circumstances surrounding the tanker’s arrest.
Former NIMASA Director-General, Temisan Omatseye, also declined immediate comment, noting that he had only just received the information.
NIMASA spokesman Edward Osagie said the agency had not received official communication, but he invited reporters to submit a formal enquiry for proper response.
The seizure comes at a time when Nigeria continues to battle massive crude losses.
Earlier this year, NEITI disclosed that Nigeria lost 13.5 million barrels of crude worth $3.3 billion to theft and sabotage within a year.
NEITI’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Ogbonnanya Orji, warned that the lost revenue could have funded major national projects, including annual healthcare budgets and energy access programs.
Moreover, Orji said: “We have institutionalised regular audits, unmasked true owners of extractive assets, and strengthened transparency across the energy sector.”
He added that the agency had also expanded its work into beneficial ownership tracking and governance reforms.
The Skipper investigation is expected to continue, and global attention is now focused on Nigeria’s maritime regulatory systems.
