Tinubu asked to unmask operators of Nigerian-owned supertanker seized by US Coast Guard
Independent Security Experts Urge Investigation into Seized Nigerian Supertanker
The Independent Security Experts of Nigeria (ISEN) is calling on President Bola Tinubu to initiate an independent investigation into the seizure of the Nigerian-owned supertanker, Skipper, by the United States Coast Guard and Navy.
The vessel was intercepted in December 2025 under suspicions of crude oil theft, piracy, and drug trafficking. Reports have suggested potential connections between the Skipper and Iranian and Islamist money-laundering networks.
The Skipper, a 20-year-old Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) with IMO Number 9304667, is reportedly owned and managed by Nigeria-based Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd, but is registered to Triton Navigation Corp in the Marshall Islands. At the time of its arrest, the supertanker was illegally flying the Guyanese flag. Corporate Affairs Commission records indicate that Thomarose is currently inactive, with its registered address at 111 Jakpa Road, Effurun, Warri, Delta State, and no operational contact numbers listed.
In a statement released on Saturday, ISEN emphasized the need for a thorough investigation to identify the true owners and operators of the vessel, as well as any individuals who may have facilitated its operations. The organization highlighted the urgency of bringing those responsible for using fraudulent documentation in international oil theft to justice.
“We demand that the Federal Government establish a high-level panel with full prosecutorial authority to uncover every aspect of this criminal enterprise,” said ISEN Lead Expert Dean John. “Every individual and entity involved in the ownership, management, and loading of the Skipper must be apprehended and held accountable.”
The experts further argued that Nigeria’s crude oil is a national asset belonging to its citizens rather than a select few. They also raised concerns about the vessel’s possible ties to a government pipeline surveillance contract intended to combat oil theft.
ISEN warned that failing to take decisive action could result in increased theft, exacerbating the national revenue crisis and further eroding public trust in institutions responsible for protecting the country’s economic resources.
