Pirate attacks continue in West Africa

The Gulf of Guinea has recorded its third ship hijacking this month, with a chemical tanker captured off Togo, as the region continues to see a spike in maritime insecurity.

According to the International Maritime Bureau’s piracy reporting centre, armed pirates boarded and hijacked an anchored chemical tanker at Lome Anchorage on 12 May, holding its crew hostage.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: defenceweb.co.za

Police Uncover Plots To Attack Oil Facilities In Niger Delta

By Chibuike Chukwu

Lagos – The Nigeria Police Force said it has uncovered plots by some subversive elements masquerading as climate and environmental activists to commence massive and coordinated attacks on oil installations across the country especially in the Niger-Delta region and adjoining states.

These plots, according to a statement by Frank Mba, the Force image maker, on Wednesday, were politically motivated, and aimed at sabotaging oil installations with intended negative consequences on national security, economic development and global oil market.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: independent.ng

US Coast Guard ship arrives in PH to boost both nations’ maritime security capabilities

By Betheena Kae Unite 

An American vessel that will conduct several exercises and improve the maritime security capabilities of the United States Coast Guard and the Philippines’ arrived in Manila Wednesday.

The United States Coast Guard National Security Cutter Bertholf, with its commanding officer Captain John Discroll, arrived at Pier 15 in Manila, following the capability training exercise conducted by both nations’ Coast Guard in the West Philippine Sea Tuesday.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: news.mb.com.ph

Maritime crimes squeeze NIMASA’s revenue

by Onyedi Ojiabor

The Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, yesterday blamed high rate of crime for the revenue shortfall the agency recorded in 2018 fiscal year.

He spoke in Abuja during 2019 budget defence session of the agency before the Senate Committee on Marine Transport. Peterside who made the submission in response to a question on why NIMASA’s contributions to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in 2018 reduced by N6billion noted that maritime crimes was largely responsible for the reduction.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: thenationonlineng.net

EU, ECOWAS stake $173m to address maritime insecurity

By Oludare Richards

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union (EU) have committed €155 million (about $173 million) to address issues associated with maritime insecurity and related clandestine networks of dirty money in West Africa.

The ECOWAS Commission targets the insecurity situation in the Gulf of Guinea, which it said had adverse effect on the health and economic indices of ECOWAS member states.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: guardian.ng

Navy arrests Ghanaian, eight Beninoise for oil theft

by Tajudeen Adebanjo and Yewande Fasan

The Nigerian Navy has said it arrested nine foreign nationals alongside two boats and seven trucks over alleged stolen Petrol Motor Spirit (PMS) around the Atlas Cove area of Lagos.

The Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, Commodore Ibrahim Shettima said this while briefing reporters at the command in Apapa, Lagos.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: thenationonlineng.net

IOCs, others raise alarm as vandalism, oil theft rise in Niger Delta

BY UROWAYINO WARAMI

There are indications that Nigeria has lost significant oil as a result of increasing pipeline vandalism and oil theft in the Nigeria Delta.

Investigation by Vanguard over the weekend showed that many oil companies, including the International Oil Companies, IOCs and indigenous producers have been affected.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: vanguardngr.com

PHL, Indonesian navies wrap up coordinated border patrol activities

The first leg of the Border Coordinated Patrol of the Philippine and Indonesian navies has ended, with the aim of securing the common border between the two countries and stop maritime and sea crimes including smuggling and piracy.

The patrol ships of both countries were expected to have reached their final point in the territorial waters of Indonesia along the Celebes Sea on Saturday.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: gmanetwork.com

Togo: pirate attack thwarted

Media in Togo report that a group of eight pirates attacked a ship off the country on the night of Saturday 11th.

The Togolese minister of Security and Civil Protection, Yark Damehame, named the ship involved in as the G-DONA 1, a Togolese vessel with a crew of seven. The report states that eight armed pirates in a ‘canoe’ approached and boarded the vessel. When the Navy operations room observed the vessel’s erratic movements and were unable to contact her, they deployed a naval team to investigate.

They boarded the vessel and arrested eight suspected pirates (six Nigerian and two Togolese citizens), who they handed over to the Maritime Gendarmerie for further investigation. The G-DONA 1 was escorted to Lomé.

Sabah sea curfew extended yet another two weeks

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s dusk-to-dawn sea curfew which ends today (May 10) will be extended for another two weeks until May 26 (Sunday), says Police Commissioner Datuk Omar Mammah.

He said the extension of the 6pm-to-6am curfew  was needed due to continuous threats from cross-border criminals, including from kidnap-for-ransom groups.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: thestar.com.my

Abu Sayyaf Group