NIMASA Disowns ‘MV Skipper’
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) counters alleged ownership of the contentious vessel identified as MV Skipper by Nigeria, insisting that owners of the vessel are not registered with the agency
By Patrick Ogboru
The apex maritime parastatal, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has denied Nigeria’s ownership of a contentious supertanker, the MV Skipper which was arrested recently by the United States Coast Guard in collaboration with the US Navy. The 20-year-old Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) with International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) number 9304667 according to reports by a section of the media, was owned and managed by Nigerian-based Thomarose Global Ventures Limited.
The report added that MV Skipper’s seizure was carried out under the American Law Enforcement Authority, with President Donald Trump announcing the operation. Furthermore, the said media report indicated that beyond the suspicion that the VLCC might have carried stolen crude oil, it was also being investigated for allegedly transporting a large consignment of hard drugs, as well as operating within a network backed by suspected Iranian and other Islamist-linked money laundering financiers.
But in a swift reaction, NIMASA has debunked Nigeria’s ownership of the vessel. The agency stated that Thomarose Global Ventures Limited, are not registered with NIMASA as a shipping company.