The United States Coast Guard, working alongside the US Navy, has intercepted the Nigerian-owned supertanker Skipper over allegations of crude oil theft, piracy, and other transnational crimes. The 20-year-old Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) is reportedly owned by Nigeria’s Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd., though it is registered under Triton Navigation Corp. in the Marshall Islands.
At the time of interception, the supertanker was reportedly flying the Guyanese flag without authorization. Guyana’s Maritime Administration confirmed that Skipper is not registered in its national registry and had no permission to use the country’s flag.
US authorities stated that the operation, announced by President Donald Trump, was carried out under American law enforcement jurisdiction. Beyond crude theft, the vessel is also under investigation for allegedly transporting hard drugs and operating within a network reportedly linked to suspected Iranian and Islamist-affiliated financiers.
A check with Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) revealed that Thomarose is inactive, with its registered address in Warri, Delta State. Concerns over the state of the vessel and the lack of operational contact details have been raised by various stakeholders.
Engr. Akin Olaniyan, President of the Centre for Marine Surveyors Nigeria, raised concerns over potential gaps in Nigeria’s Port State Control, warning that the vessel’s departure from Nigerian waters pointed to serious regulatory shortcomings.
Industry stakeholders, including representatives from the Oil and Gas Service Providers Association and the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria, admitted to having limited information about the tanker and called for greater clarity on its ownership and registration. Earlier this year, the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) reported that Nigeria lost around 13.5 million barrels of crude oil—valued at $3.3 billion—to theft and sabotage between 2023 and 2024, underscoring the persistent challenges of oil theft in the region.
