BY AYO OLOWO
Reuters has reported that Nigeria’s state oil company NNPC has banned 113 oil tankers from the country’s waters, citing a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari, according to a letter circulated by NNPC.
The vessels, which include mainly VLCC crude oil tankers, are banned from calling at Nigerian crude oil terminals and also from Nigerian waters with immediate effect, the letter states, “pending a notice to the contrary by government.”
The letter was dated July 15.
The list includes several tankers that have recently called at Nigerian crude oil ports, but also those that have not for years, traders said.
The reason for the ban was not stated in the letter, but traders said it was an effort to crack down on illegal crude oil trading.
