We cover piracy, armed robbery at sea, IUU fishing, maritime cyber security and maritime security issues.
Bayelsa state governor, Seriake Dickson, has charged the Joint Task Force “Operation Delta Safe” to vigorously undertake efforts that will lead to curbing kidnapping, sea piracy and sundry crimes in the maritime environment.
Governor Dickson gave the charge when he received the new Commander, Rear Admiral Akinjide Akinrinade who is also seeking the partnership of government to protect national assets in the state.
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Source: tvcnews.tv
The Nigerian Navy may have unwittingly sparked a diplomatic row with the United States of America with the arrest this week of nine people including one American for possession of firearms.
The arrested suspects were said to be part of a maritime security team supposedly providing anti-piracy services in the Gulf of Guinea region. A spokesperson for the maritime security firm, confirmed as U.S.-based Trident Group, said the team was located well into international waters when their vessel was boarded and the weapons found were all licensed and permitted.
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Source: shipsandports.com.ng
Tanker reported attacked at 0010 UTC in position 04:28N – 007:10E, around 3nm NNE of Bonny LNG Terminal off Bonny Island, Nigeria. Awaiting further details. Reported (MDAT?Source) 20 Apr. Via: OCEANUSLive.org
Four persons in a speed boat armed with automatic weapons approached an anchored product tanker at 2020 UTC in position 04:28.1N – 007:10.1E, Bonny River Inner Anchorage, Nigeria. Two persons managed to board the tanker and open fire towards the accommodation. The onboard Nigerian naval guards returned fire resulting in the persons retreating into their boat and escaping. Alarm raised, PA announcement made and crew mustered in the citadel. Bonny Signal Station and Nigerian Navy notified. One guard was injured during the shooting and was given first aid by the crew. Two security boats responded and approached the tanker. The injured guard was transferred to a security boat and taken ashore for medical assistance. Remaining crew reported safe. Reported (IMB) 15 Apr.
Via: OCEANUSLive.org
BY JIMITOTA ONOYUME WARRI
The Nigerian army has smashed one of the biggest camps operated by oil thieves in Delta state, destroying about sixty Cotonu boats, 150 storage tanks, 700 drums used by the oil thieves for their illicit trade.
Commander Sector I, Operation Delta Safe,OPDS, Warri Delta state, Colonel Baba Manu led his men with two swamp boggy into the camp covering about 20 kilometres located between Ogevughe to Otujeremi in Ughelli north local government area
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Source: vanguardngr.com
Operatives of the Nigerian Navy (NN) and their United States (US) counterparts have arrested 10 suspected pirates within the Nigerian end of the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).
The suspects, comprising three Greece, two Americans and five [others], were arrested onboard a logistic boat allegedly belonging to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on Sunday evening, by the crew that was on-board Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) CENTENARY for a joint operation codenamed ‘Junction Rain’.
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Source: thenationonlineng.net
Maritime Security News:
An interesting mix of nationalities in terms of a ‘pirate’ gang operating off Nigeria. The article notes that several Benelli rifles were recovered rather than the more standard and cheaper AK-47 and variants. Call me a skeptic, but I think these are gamekeepers rather than poachers…
By Nurudeen Oyewole
The New Nigeria Foundation (NNF), a civil environmental group focusing on crude oil theft in Niger/Delta, has raised the alarm that the rising crude theft in the region is massively depleting the country’s revenue base and crippling the environment.
NFF Senior Programmes Manager Mrs. Olayide Adesanya told newsmen in Lagos that crude theft had become a hydra-headed monster crippling the socio-economic, environment and economy of the country.
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Source: dailytrust.com.ng
The P-71 Serviola is based on the west African coast and was carrying out security operations on Tuesday when its crew located the ship, which was navigating ‘erratically’ and without transmitting via the Automatic Identification System (AIS). Spanish Naval officials radioed the ship’s crew, who confirmed they had been hijacked four days ago.
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Source: oceanuslive.org
By Aditi James
On July 16, 2013, I was out to dinner with my family, celebrating my uncle’s birthday. Usually, Sunil, my husband, is the kind of guy who never forgets anyone’s birthday — even though he was away at sea with the merchant navy. But he never sent congratulations. I didn’t worry too much at the time. I thought he probably had weak network or was just busy. Two days later, I learned that his ship, Ocean Centurion, had been attacked.
The pirates — they’re now thought to have been a Nigerian gang — kicked open Sunil’s cabin door, blindfolded and beat him. When Sunil, the captain, and his crew came to, the ship had been ransacked. The pirates were gone, but the ship was now drifting aimlessly at sea. Using nautical charts, Sunil guided the ship to the nearest port, Lome in Togo. But there, officials (who couldn’t speak English) made Sunil and two of his fellow sailors sign statements in French (a language they didn’t know). And then: Sunil and the sailors were jailed on suspicion of colluding with the pirates. It turned out that I was his only hope.
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Source: ozy.com
Piracy attacks off Nigeria’s coast fell to 14 in the first quarter from 22 a year ago after the navy improved its response to incidents, the International Maritime Bureau said.
“These results confirm the Nigerian navy’s increased efforts to actively respond to reported incidents by dispatching patrol boats,” the London-based body that tracks attacks on sea vessels said. “Despite these efforts, Nigerian waters remain risky for vessels, especially the port of Lagos where four incidents have been reported.”
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Source: bloomberg.com
Maritime Security News 