The United States Coast Guard, in coordination with the U.S. Navy, has seized a Nigerian-linked supertanker, Skipper, over allegations of crude oil theft, piracy, and other transnational crimes, a development raising renewed concerns about Nigeria’s maritime regulation and vessel oversight.

The Skipper, a 20-year-old Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) with IMO Number 9304667, was intercepted after a multi-agency intelligence review flagged irregularities in its movements, cargo documentation, and ownership records.

Although tied to Lagos-based Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd, the tanker’s official registry lists Triton Navigation Corp. of the Marshall Islands as the owner.

President Donald Trump confirmed the seizure on December 10, describing it as part of Washington’s efforts to disrupt maritime activities deemed harmful to U.S national security and the global energy supply chain.

At the time of its interception, the vessel was operating under the Guyanese flag, a move Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department later denounced as “illegal and deceptive,” noting that Skipper does not appear in its national ship registry.

U.S authorities are currently probing multiple allegations, including links to crude oil theft in the Gulf of Guinea, suspected transport of significant quantities of narcotics, and connections to an international network believed to involve Iranian and Islamist-aligned financiers engaged in illicit oil trading, money laundering and weapons trafficking.

A Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) search revealed that Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd., the Nigerian company reported to be managing the vessel, is inactive.

The firm is registered at 111 Jakpa Road, Effurun, Warri, Delta State, with no operational contact numbers.

The development has triggered strong reactions from maritime experts who warn of broader implications for Nigeria’s regulatory credibility.

Engr. Akin Olaniyan, President of the Centre for Marine Surveyors Nigeria, said the situation could reflect lapses in Nigeria’s port state control operations.

“If the vessel emanated from Nigeria, it suggests our Port State Control is practically non-existent,” he noted.

“It also means Nigerian vessels may face stricter scrutiny abroad. This is not about Nigeria as a nation, but about regulatory enforcement.”

Oil and Gas Service Providers Association of Nigeria President, Mazi Colman Obasi, questioned the secrecy surrounding the vessel’s ownership and management.

“I have never heard that Nigeria has a supertanker, nor that it is inactive in the CAC records,” he said.

The Ship Owners Association of Nigeria President, Otunba Sola Adewumi, and former NIMASA Director-General, Mr. Temisan Omatseye, said they were awaiting more information before commenting.

NIMASA spokesperson, Edward Osagie, noted that the agency has not yet received any official communication concerning the seizure.

An energy analyst in Port Harcourt said the seizure highlights Nigeria’s lingering vulnerabilities in protecting its oil infrastructure.

“With so many agencies and private contractors involved, one would expect oil theft to decline significantly. Yet these incidents persist,” he said.

The development comes as Nigeria continues to battle massive crude oil losses.

According to the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the country lost 13.5 million barrels of crude, valued at $3.3 billion, to theft and pipeline vandalism between 2023 and 2024.

NEITI’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Ogbonnaya Orji, warned that a single year’s losses could fund the entire federal health budget or expand electricity access nationwide.

The Skipper remains in U.S custody as investigators examine its recent voyages, ownership trail, financial dealings and possible links to criminal networks operating across West Africa, the Middle East, and beyond.

Calm has returned to Cotonou following the failed coup attempt against President Patrice Talon, with security forces continuing their search for soldiers involved in the plot.

Authorities say all hostages, including senior military officers, have been rescued.

In Benin’s commercial hub, the atmosphere shifted noticeably as residents crowded newsstands in search of updates.

At one kiosk near government ministries, where tanks were positioned a day earlier, customers queued up for newspapers, eager to understand the dramatic events.

The coup attempt unfolded when a group of soldiers seized the national television station and announced Talon’s removal.

Loyalist forces, backed by the Nigerian air force, swiftly countered the mutiny, retaking strategic locations across the coastal city.

“I don’t usually buy newspapers, but yesterday was exceptional,” said resident Stéphane Nelson, who stopped at a busy newsstand.”

“Headlines reflected the mood across the country: “Talon reassures the country after foiled coup” and “President’s statement re-enchants the Nation.”

Despite the deployment of tanks and aircraft strikes a day earlier, normal life gradually resumed in Cotonou.

Restrictions remained around the presidential palace, but vendors, taxi riders, and civil servants returned to their routines.

Authorities say the coup was orchestrated by a small group calling themselves the “Military Committee for Refoundation” (CMR).

They briefly claimed to have deposed Talon, though officials later confirmed the president was never in danger and had immediately mobilised loyal forces.

Nigeria intervened at Benin’s request, deploying troops and launching airstrikes against insurgent positions, including a National Guard base. Nelson, a property developer, said many residents welcomed the support:

“Another country had to help defend our democracy, that shows the seriousness of what happened.”

The search for fugitive coup plotters continues, but security officials say control has been fully restored.

Talon, who reaches the end of his second term in April, addressed the nation after the crisis, assuring citizens that “the situation is completely under control.”

Across Cotonou, Monday looked close to normal.

Students filled the streets, motorcycle taxis returned to full activity, and markets reopened.

Some residents remained cautious, worried about the economic impact if unrest continues.

“I had to close my shop yesterday,” said Thor, a 19-year-old tailor whose workshop is near one of the sites bombed by the Nigerian air force.

“Today I’m open again  I hope this never happens again. It affects our income.”

At restaurants and street stalls, business was slow. Some blamed lingering fear from the coup attempt; others pointed to the torrential rain soaking the city.

Still, many in Cotonou expressed relief that the coup was crushed quickly and hope that political calm will hold in the days ahead.

United States Congressman Riley Moore says he will present a comprehensive report to President Donald Trump following his week-long fact-finding mission to Nigeria, where he led a five-member congressional delegation to assess insecurity and alleged religious persecution.

Moore, a Republican lawmaker, disclosed that the delegation travelled through Benue State in armoured vehicles due to heightened security threats.

During the visit, the team met with victims of attacks, internally displaced persons (IDPs), Christian associations, Catholic and Protestant leaders.

Speaking in an interview aired on Fox News and shared on X, Moore said the visit was aimed at gathering first-hand evidence of violent attacks targeting Christian communities.

“We went to Benue State, one of Nigeria’s most dangerous states and a place where many Christians are being murdered for their faith in Jesus Christ,” he said.

“We travelled in armoured vehicles with security escorts, met victims, and engaged with church leaders, including Bishop Anagbe and Protestant leaders, to get the true picture on ground.”

He added that President Trump had asked him and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole to compile recommendations based on their findings.

“We are going to submit that report before the end of the month,” Moore stated.

Moore described the accounts shared by survivors living in IDP camps as “harrowing and unforgettable.”

“One woman lost her entire family — five children murdered before her eyes. She escaped while pregnant and later delivered her baby in an IDP camp,” he recounted.

“Another woman lost her husband and two daughters, and her unborn child was violently taken from her by attackers. I have never encountered anything like this in my life.”

He dismissed claims that the violence is driven only by environmental or economic issues.

“For those who say this is about climate change or land disputes, why burn churches or attack IDP camps while screaming religious slogans? It is clear what is happening, an attempt to erase Christians from their ancestral homeland,” he said.

During the trip, the delegation met with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu in Abuja for discussions on counter-terrorism and regional stability.

Ribadu noted that the talks built on earlier engagements held in Washington.

Moore also visited traditional and religious leaders, including Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, Bishop Isaac Dugu, and Tor Tiv V, James Ioruza.

He commended the Nigerian government for the recent rescue of 100 abducted children in Niger State, describing it as “a positive step in President Bola Tinubu’s security efforts.”

Moore further revealed that a joint task force involving the US State Department and Nigerian officials has been established to examine concerns surrounding alleged religious persecution.

The visit comes as Nigeria pushes back against the recent US designation of the country as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), a label the Federal Government has strongly rejected.