We cover piracy, armed robbery at sea, IUU fishing, maritime cyber security and maritime security issues.
By Iniabasi Umo
The Nigerian Navy in Akwa Ibom State has arrested 8 suspects with 112 drums of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
The eight suspects were arrested with the drums of petrol in a wooden boat around the Abgani area by Navy patrol gun boats and were said to be heading to Cameroon.
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Source: dailytrust.com.ng
By Oko Ebuka
In the wake of the recent attack on a tanker vessel named, ‘Nave Constellation’, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, has said that the Agency is working in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy, NN, to ensure the release of the abducted seafarers as well as securing the lives of the remaining crew onboard.
19 crew members on board the vessel which was attacked off the coast of Bonny, Rivers State, were abducted leaving nine [MarsecNews: seven crew, according to incident reports] others behind.
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Source: vanguardngr.com
By Genalyn Kabiling
To thwart any threat from Islamic State-linked militants, President Duterte has ordered the deployment of more battalions to help keep peace and security in Mindanao.
The President said he had asked Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to send 20 to 35 battalions from the Philippine Army, admitting he was worried that ISIS threat in Sulu might spill over to other parts of Mindanao.
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Source: news.mb.com.ph
Naval Forces of countries along the Gulf of Guinea cannot maintain maritime security alone without cooperation and collaboration from relevant stakeholders, Rear Admiral Seth Amoama, Chief of the Naval Staff has said.
Rear Admiral Amoama observed that every area of maritime security has its dimensions that required cooperation and collaboration with relevant actors to drive up issues such as environmental protection, sustainable fishing and over-exploitation of other resources in the sea.
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Source: myjoyonline.com
UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) — United Nations Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted Resolution 2500 renewing the authorization for Somalia anti-piracy measures to December of 2020.
The United States-drafted resolution has decided to renew for 12 months the authorization for states and regional organizations cooperating with Somalia to enter into Somali territorial waters and use all necessary means for the purpose of repressing acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea.
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Source: xinhuanet.com
By Azimazi Momoh Jimoh
The Senate has threatened to compel the Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, via a warrant, to appear before it to answer questions on his agency’s involvement in the operation of alleged illegal security services in the nation’s waterways.
The Senate Joint Committee on Navy, Marine Transport and Finance yesterday described the Dakuku’s failure to honour its invitation as disrespectful.
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Source: guardian.ng
The piracy situation in West Africa has descended to new lows with a VLCC raided by armed men yesterday and 19 crew kidnapped. The attack on the Anglo-Eastern-managed Nave Constellation took place 66 nautical miles south of Bonny Offshore Terminal, and 24 nautical miles east of the Egina FPSO.
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Source: splash247.com
MarsecNews: Security sources say that the incident occurred at around 1820 UTC on December 3rd, some 80nm South of Bonny. The kidnapped group is believed to consist of 18 Indian nationals and one crew member from Turkey. Controlling such a large number of crew suggests an equally large number of perpetrators, something we haven’t seen in the region for a while.
Sanni Onogu
The Senate Tuesday raised the alarm over a contract by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to an Israeli security firm, HSLI, to police the nation’s waterways at a total cost of $198million.
The Senators queried Rear Admiral Tariworio Dick, who represented the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas, at a joint investigative hearing on the activities of the Ocean Marine Solutions Limited (OMSL) which hitherto provided security services at the Secured Anchorage Area (SAA) at the Lagos Port.
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Source: thenationonlineng.net
The president mentions working with Indonesia and Malaysia to protect the seas from pirates, amid warming ties with China which is occupying the West PH Sea
MANILA, Philippines – In alleging that much of the Philippines’ drug problem is brought about by piracy in the seas, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Saturday, November 30, that he was ordering the Philippine Navy to kill pirates if they spot them.
“My orders to the Navy, I repeat my orders to the Navy, if they are positive that they are pirates, you blow them [until] kingdom come, patayin mo na lahat at matapos na ang problema ko at ng Pilipinas and so with the drugs (kill them all so all my problems and the Philippines’ problems will all go away, and so with the drugs),” Duterte said on Saturday at the celebration of Andres Bonifacio’s 156th birth anniversary.
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Source: rappler.com
Commodore Ed Ahlgren OBE Royal Navy, Commander CTF150 (CCTF150), visited Mombasa, Kenya to deliver a maritime security threat update to the Djibouti Code of Conduct Conference (DCoC).
The Djibouti Code of Conduct has been instrumental in repressing piracy and armed robbery against ships in the western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. In 2017, under the Jeddah Agreement, it saw its scope significantly broadened to cover other illicit maritime activities, including human trafficking and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Commodore (Cdre) Ahlgren’s speech focused on the threats, as seen by Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), to law abiding shipping, the fishing industry and recreational craft in the region. Cdre Ahlgren briefed the attending delegates on how CMF operates and how collaboration, information exchange and the sharing of best practices makes the 33 nation coalition a formidable force.
“Maritime Security is a huge undertaking given the size of the ocean against the assets that are available. It cannot be done by one entity alone, we must collaborate, share information and pool our resources if we are to combat those that wish to do us harm. These problems are not just national, nor regional but international. It’s everybody’s business” Cdre Ahlgren said.
21 countries are signatories to the DCoC and they meet on a six-monthly basis to discuss how the maritime domain can be protected from a wide range of threats including piracy, threats to oil and gas installations, dangers to transport systems and illegal and unreported fishing. DCoC works closely with other security organisations in the region including European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR), the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to tackle these threats.
While in Mombasa, Cdre Ahlgren took the time to meet with the Director General of the Kenyan Coast Guard, Brigadier Loonena Naisho and Kenyan Deputy Fleet Commander, Colonel Lawrence Gitumo. The senior officers discussed how Kenya can engage further with CMF.
Cdre Ahlgren concluded, “This visit was particularly rewarding as it showcased how CMF can work with security organisations to make the western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden a safer, more sustainable and increasing prosperous region of CMF’s area of operations.”
Source: combinedmaritimeforces.com
Maritime Security News 