The Nigerian Navy has denied reports that the MT Heroic Idun vessel lifted crude from the Akpo oilfield terminal.
The vessel is a three million-barrel capacity super tanker.
Although, the Navy admitted that the vessel arrived at Akpo field at midnight of August 7, 2022 with the obvious intention of lifting crude oil within the field but had no chance to load before being accosted by the Nigerian Navy Ship Gongola at the Akpo oilfield terminal.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, the Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans , Rear Admiral Saidu Garba revealed that the vessel only spent 12 hours in the Nigerian waters and barely 20 minutes at the oilfield and had not commenced loading at the said oil field before the Navy ship Gongola accosted it for interrogation and ordered it to Bonny Anchorage.
He said, “On August 7 , 2022, it was observed that a very large crude oil carrier MT Heroic Idun entered the Nigerian maritime environment and headed for Akpo field without any form of authorisation or clearance. MT Heroic Idun (IMO: 9858058) is registered in Marshall Island with an overall length of 336 metre and capacity of 3m barrels.
“The vessel arrived at Akpo field at midnight of 7 August 2022 with the obvious intention of lifting crude oil within the field. This was, however, spotted by the Nigerian Navy Maritime Domain Awareness facility which probed the legitimacy of the very large crude carrier’s presence in the total SA operated by Akpo field.
“The outcome of all relevant enquiries from controlling agency ,NNPC Ltd, revealed that the vessel was not cleared to be in Akpo oil field.”
He added Nigeria lost nothing to the vessel as NNS Gongola was deployed on August 8 and interrogated MT Heroic Idun asking critical questions including mission and approval status.
“The captain of the vessel duly responded to the questions and further stated that the MT Heroic Idun was without relevant clearance to operate in the field.
“Accordingly,the vessel was in line with normal procedure,ordered to turn around and follow NNS Gongola to Bonny anchorage pending when she will be cleared for loading by NNPC Ltd.
“However,the captain, after contacting the master/shipping agent refused to cooperate with NNS Gongola and stated that she had been told not to take directives from the Nigerian Navy Ship,” Garba further explained.
He added that the defiance to constituted authority by the captain of the vessel necessitated the Navy to invoke the collaboration of neighbouring Equitorial Guinea through the Yaounde architecture to arrest the vessel.
