The Nigerian Federal Government has fulfilled the conditions of a plea bargain it entered with Idun Maritime Limited and handed over the MT Heroic Idun crude carrier and its 26 foreign crew members to the vessel owners. The tanker, while offshore Nigeria in August 2022, had resisted arrest by the Nigerian Navy for stealing oil but was eventually apprehended in Equatorial Guinea. In November that year, the confiscated vessel was transported back to Nigeria for prosecution on three counts of oil theft. The plea bargain requires Idun Maritime Limited to pay conviction fines and restitution to the Nigerian government, publish apologies to the country in various media, and agree to be criminally investigated no further.
The Commanding Officer, Forward Operating Base, Bonny, Navy Captain Mohammed Adamu, suggested that prosecuting the vessel sends a message about the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to ending oil theft in the country. He added that the Navy would work with other maritime law enforcement agencies and partners of Nigeria to maximise the country’s use of its natural resources. The owner of the vessel, Tanuj Mehta, confirmed that the crew was pleased to return home and praised Nigeria for its professional and respectful treatment during their detention.
Maritime stakeholders and operators are warned to “conduct their operations and maritime-related activities within extant regulations and with due observance of the law” to avoid breaching the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act, 2019. Nigeria intends to continue monitoring the waterways for oil thieves and other maritime criminals.
