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
The Indian Navy and several other agencies involved in coastal defence and maritime security brainstormed over the outcome of the ‘Sea Vigil’ exercise — the first-of-its-kind multi-agency drill covering the entire 7,516 km-long Indian coastline and exclusive economic zone.
The mega exercise took place on January 22 and 23 with participation of 13 coastal states and union territories along with all maritime stakeholders with an aim to check the efficacy of maritime security and surveillance.
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Source: business-standard.com
By: Julie Alipala
ZAMBOANGA CITY — The wife of a ranking leader of the Abu Sayyaf and three other terror suspects were arrested early on Wednesday and flown immediately to Manila where they were charged with illegal possession of explosives at the Department of Justice.
The four suspects are “high value targets” and deeply involved in the Abu Sayyaf’s bombing activities and other terror operations, according to Col. Tom Tuzon, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Western Mindanao.
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Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net
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
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — President of the Yacht Services Association of Trinidad and Tobago (YSATT), Tommy Johnson, has called on yacht owners to travel in “a convoy if possible” after a 55-foot sailboat came under attack from Venezuelan pirates over the last weekend.
In a statement posted on the YSATT’s Facebook page, Johnson said on Sunday, the Sylph, a 55-foot Beneteau sailboat, which was positioned about 15 nautical miles north-east of the Hibiscus oil platform, was approached by a group of eight Venezuelans in an attempted piracy attack.
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Source: stluciatimes.com
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 12) — A ranking leader of the Abu Sayyaf group and eight other fighters were killed in a series of clashes with government troops in Patikul, Sulu on Thursday, the military said Friday.
A press release from Joint Task Force Sulu identified one of the casualties as Julie Ikit, described as the second-in-command and cousin of senior leader Radullan Sahiron. The elusive Sahiron is among the most wanted terrorists of the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation, with a $1 million bounty on his head.
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Source: cnnphilippines.com
Maritime Security News 