The United States Coast Guard, in coordination with the U.S. Navy, has seized a supertanker named Skipper, reportedly owned by a Nigerian company.
The 20-year-old Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), bearing IMO number 9304667, is operated by Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd., a firm based in Nigeria, while its registered owner is listed as Triton Navigation Corp., incorporated in the Marshall Islands.
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At the time of the interception, the tanker was sailing under a Guyanese flag, which Guyana’s Maritime Administration later confirmed was used without authorization. Skipper does not appear on the country’s official ship registry, indicating the flag had been adopted illegally.
U.S. officials said the seizure was conducted under American law-enforcement authority, with President Donald Trump publicly announcing the operation. Investigators have flagged the vessel for potential involvement in multiple illicit activities, including crude oil theft, large-scale drug transportation, and links to Iranian and other Islamist-affiliated money-laundering networks.
Records from Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) list Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd. as inactive. An inquiry revealed the company’s registered address as 111 Jakpa Road, Effurun, Warri, Delta State, but no telephone contacts were available.
Engr. Akin Olaniyan, president of the Centre for Marine Surveyors, warned that if the tanker had departed from Nigeria prior to the seizure, it would expose major weaknesses in the country’s Port State Control system. He described the gaps in enforcement as “practically non-existent,” a situation that could subject Nigerian vessels to stricter international scrutiny.
Mazi Colman Obasi, national president of the Oil and Gas Service Providers Association of Nigeria (OGSPAN), expressed surprise, noting that he had never heard of Nigeria owning a supertanker and that the vessel does not appear in CAC records. He called for urgent action from government authorities to clarify the situation.
Otunba Sola Adewumi, president of the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), said he could not comment until full details of the seizure are available. Former NIMASA Director-General, Mr. Temisan Omatseye, also stated he had just learned of the detention and was not in a position to provide a verified response.
Orji, a maritime analyst, highlighted the potential economic impact of such illicit operations. He noted that lost revenues could have funded a year’s federal health budget or expanded energy access to millions of households. Using 2021‑2022 Oil and Gas Industry Reports, he stated Nigeria earned $23.04 billion in 2021 and $23.05 billion in 2022 from the sector, while approximately N1.5 trillion remains owed to the Federation by companies and government entities.
