Operatives of TSSL Tantita Security Services Limited led by alias Tompolo who is an ex Niger militant have arrested eight members who were suspected to be looting crude oil while they were pumping the oil from the pipeline of Chevron Nigeria Limited, they were pumping it into an ocean vessel which was 87-metre long. The operatives of Tantita ambushed the vessel and approached the captain whose name is Captain Temple Manasseh, they stole 605 cubic metres of crude oil and put it into their vessel, it had illegal connection with CNL crude pipeline. See Tompolo.
The International Maritime Organisation of the vessel was 7210526, it was stated that the vessel had been pumping crude oil from Niger Delta illegally for years and have been shipping it to Ghana. It was learnt that the real owners of the vessel have not come out openly but as the vessel was caught, they tried bribing an official of Tantita with N25 million to release the vessel but the officials rejected the bribe. The 8 people caught in the ship have been handed over to the joint task force but the captain whose name is Temple Manasseh told them that his ship was hijacked adding that he had nothing to do with the loading of crude oil on the vessel, he claimed that 7 people forced him to take the vessel to the wrong direction, he claimed not to know who the boys that hijacked him are