The Nigerian Navy (NN) at the weekend successfully brought back from Equitorial Guinea, a crude carrier, Supertanker MT HEROIC IDUN and her crew members to face criminal charges for offences committed within the country’s maritime domain.
HEROIC IDUN has been in the news since August after it evaded arrest by NNS GONGOLA around the AKPO Oil Field where it was found at the wee hours of August 8 without valid papers.
The vessel with capacity to carry over three million barrels of crude oil at a time, had allegedly claimed it was scheduled to load product and was awaiting instructions from its owners, agents when the warship intercepted it
Upon establishing that the crude carrier which had a crew of 26 comprising 16 Indians, eight Sri Lankans, a Polish and one Filipino nationals was around the restricted area illegally, the naval warship ordered the vessel to alter its course and move towards Bonny Fairway Buoy but the suspect ship rather fled to Equitorial Guinea.
The vessel also raised a piracy attack claim on International Maritime communication channels, which was later investigated and found to be false.
The Nation had reported how the vessel, which was eventually arrested in the Central African country in line with the Yaounde Code, provided a loading document which was however several days ahead of the date it was caught around the oil field.
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Sensing that the navy would request the extradition of the vessel and her crew to Nigeria to face charges for crimes committed within her jurisdiction, owners and agents of the vessel commenced legal, diplomatic and media campaigns to discourage the service and indeed Nigerian authorieis from continuing.
A source privy to the issue told The Nation that the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war has hightened global oil prices, which has forced powerful transnational organised crime syndicates to scout for cheap oil and gas.
“That is why their focus is on Nigeria where they are creating a demand for stolen crude. In the case of HEROIC IDUN, these powerful forces have resorted to blackmail, propaganda and other desperate unwholesome practices to avoid being brought to justice. A new vista is the manipulation of diplomatic channels to pervert the rule of law but the navy is not backing down.
“The vessel has been successfully brought back home and its crew members have been arraigned in court in Rivers State.
‘interestingly, the vessel that the captain claimed was bad and cannot sail back to Nigeria sailed unaided. It didn’t need the help of the two tugboats the NN moved to that country to tow it back. The vessel is now anchored at Bonny,” he said.
Contacted, Director of Naval Information (DINFO), Commodorr Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan confirmed MT HEROIC IDUN arrived Bonny on Saturday afternoon, adding that the legal team of the Navy has taken up the case in collaboration with prosecutorial agencies.