US firm petitions IGP over alleged vandalisation of MT Thor tanker

By : Adamu Abuh

Date: 17 December 2025 10:52am WAT

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A United States–based shipping company, NUJENIX Corporation, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, over the alleged unlawful seizure, prolonged detention and vandalisation of its motor tanker, MT Thor, raising concerns over what it described as the involvement of personnel of the Nigerian Army in the dispute.

The company, through its legal representatives, S.D. Omede Esq. and P.O. Onucheyo Esq., alleged that several individuals and firms were involved in a conspiracy that resulted in the loss and deterioration of the vessel. NUJENIX Corporation said it is acting on behalf of its owner and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Eial Golan Yachiel, an Israeli-American citizen resident in the United States. According to the petition, MT Thor, owned by NUJENIX Corporation and registered in Florida, was handed over to Sub-Sea 9 Ocean Services Ltd under a bareboat charter agreement dated January 1, 2021. The agreement reportedly required payments of $912,500 every six months, which the company alleged were not honoured. “He failed to meet the payment obligation and paid only the sum of $25,000,” the petition stated.

The firm further alleged that, after taking possession of the vessel, the operator became unreachable and later issued threats against its principal. “He threatened that our client would be kidnapped, killed or die mysteriously if he set foot in Nigeria,” the lawyers claimed in the petition. Briefing journalists in Abuja, company counsel, Mr. Peter Onucheyo, alleged that police investigations into the matter were unlawfully disrupted. According to him, military personnel allegedly acting in support of one of the principal suspects intimidated parties connected to the case, interfered with police operations and took custody of the vessel.

“This matter has gone beyond a civil dispute,” Onucheyo said. “It is no longer about business. It is about alleged threats, unlawful detention and the use of force.” He further alleged that, after court processes were initiated, attempts by the police to effect arrests were frustrated by the presence of armed personnel. “When the police went to carry out their lawful duties, they were reportedly stopped,” he said. The lawyer also alleged that the vessel was taken to Koko, near Warri in Delta State, where it was guarded and later left in a severely damaged condition. “They allegedly hid the vessel there, and over time it was vandalised and stripped of vital components,” he said, adding that the vessel is now “a shadow of what it used to be.”

According to NUJENIX Corporation, efforts to enforce court orders relating to the vessel were allegedly obstructed, with claims of unlawful detention backed by armed men. The petition further alleged that various security agencies were mentioned during the incidents surrounding the vessel. NUJENIX Corporation claimed that MT Thor has been stripped of key navigational and bunker equipment and rendered unseaworthy. “Presently, the vessel is damaged beyond repair and is no longer seaworthy due to the alleged criminal acts of the suspects,” the petition stated.

The company said photographs showing the condition of the vessel at the time of delivery in January 2021 and its current state were attached to the petition. Citing alleged threats to life and the involvement of armed personnel, NUJENIX Corporation urged the Inspector-General of Police to intervene urgently. “We respectfully request the intervention of the Inspector-General of Police to ensure that justice is served and to protect the life and property of our client,” the petition read. The petition further claimed that, during police efforts to tow the vessel from a location in Koko, Delta State, to a secure facility, a gunboat allegedly manned by Nigerian Army personnel intervened and took control of the vessel from marine police officers who were said to be on lawful duty.

The action was alleged to have been influenced by one of the suspects, who reportedly claimed ownership of the jetty where the vessel had been moored. As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Army and the individuals named in the petition had not issued official responses to the allegations.

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