By Innocent Anaba
Four suspected oil thieves have been arrested in Delta State as part of intensified efforts to curb crude oil theft and economic sabotage in the Niger Delta.
The suspects were apprehended following the interception of a vessel, MT Thor, and are currently under investigation over the alleged illegal dealings in crude oil.
The arrests were formally announced during the handover of the suspects and the vessel at Koko Port, Delta State, by Tantita Security Services Limited, TSSNL, one of the firms engaged by the Federal Government to provide pipeline surveillance and protection services.
Speaking at the handover, Tantita’s Executive Director of Operations, Captain Warredi Enisouh, said the suspects were arrested aboard MT Thor with an unspecified quantity of petroleum products believed to have been illegally sourced.
A situation report by the Head of Investigation (HoI), Special Prosecution Team (SPT) of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Petroleum Product Theft, Omar Sini, disclosed that the vessel was intercepted on December 15, 2025, along the Kokpo–Excravos axis of Delta State.
According to the report, Tantita alerted the HoI of the SPT after intercepting the vessel, which was laden with crude oil allegedly obtained through illicit means.
Investigators further alleged that MT Thor was being escorted by personnel of the Police Marine Unit, Delta State, who reportedly claimed they were acting on directives from the Force Intelligence Department, FID, Abuja.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the vessel, now classified as an exhibit in an ongoing criminal investigation, is linked to a jetty operator.
Authorities said documents and correspondence relating to the jetty had been obtained and were currently under review.
The owner and promoter of the jetty, identified as Mr. Ebenezer, was contacted by investigators and reportedly submitted additional documents, including court orders, which are also being analysed as part of the investigation.
Providing further details, Sini said that on December 16, 2025, a joint investigation team led by himself and Capt. Warredi of Tantita, conducted a Joint Inspection Visit (JIV) in Koko.
According to him, the team initially met at Tantita’s corporate headquarters in Warri for a briefing, which was attended by the jetty owner, before proceeding to Koko to obtain samples from MT Thor.
However, the vessel had not yet arrived at the jetty, having been towed from an earlier location by security operatives.
While awaiting its arrival, the joint team inspected other containers suspected to be carrying crude oil within the premises of Ebenco Global Links Limited, where samples were taken from a storage barge.
MT Thor eventually berthed about 8:30 p.m., on December 16, prompting the suspension of sampling and related procedures until the following day.
On December 17, 2025, investigators visited the jetty in company of staff of the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, who obtained sample of the petroleum product for the purpose of analyzing same and other investigative formalities.
Sini reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to dismantling crude oil theft networks in the Niger Delta, assuring that the eventual findings will determine the next line of action in accordance with extant law.
He noted that the Inter-Agency Task Force commenced operations in March, at a time when Nigeria’s crude oil production stood at about 1.4 million barrels per day, adding that sustained enforcement efforts have helped raise output to approximately 1.8 million barrels per day.
However, there is a revelation that judicial outcomes have not always supported the fight against oil theft, pointing out that while the law prescribes penalties extending to life imprisonment, some courts have exercised discretion by imposing lighter sentences, a development he said undermines national economic interests.
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