NIMASA raises hopes on maritime security

By Godwin Oritse

AGAINST the backdrop of the increased incidents of sea piracy in Nigeria’s waters late last year, the leadership of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, has indicated that the Agency is being equipped to bring down the rate of attacks in 2020. It also expressed disappointment and embarrassment at the recent upsurge in the spate of attacks.

Speaking in Lagos, weekend, the Director General of NIMASA, Dakuku Peterside, however, restated the agency’s commitment and determination to ensure that the country’s territorial waters was free of piracy and all forms of maritime crime in 2020 to further boost investment opportunities in the blue economy.

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Source: vanguardngr.com

Nigerian Navy Hands over Vessel, Nine Suspects to EFCC for Illegal Oil Bunkering

The Nigerian Navy Ship Delta (NNS Delta), on Monday, January 13, 2020 handed over a motor vessel, MV Salvation and its nine crew members to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Benin Zonal Office, whom she arrested for their alleged involvement in illegal oil bunkering.

The suspects are: Tamuno Abereniboye, John Gwuene, Simon President, Nice Bien, Daniel Aghovwieokpo, Prince Ogun, Jabu Kimidengiyefa, Daniel People, Olawale Bello.

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Source: prnigeria.com

Fed Govt loses over $7b yearly to piracy

By Oluwakemi Dauda

The Federal Government loses over $7 billion on freight cost yearly to criminal activities on the nation’s territorial waters, the former President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, has said.

He called on the government to put in place measures to stem the tide of criminalities on the territorial waters.

Shittu, who spoke with The Nation on the sideline of a stakeholders forum organised by some auto importers in Lagos, added that the Federal Government needs to invest in maritime security and local capacity development to reduce piracy on the nation’s waters and get a sizeable chunk of the over $7 billion of the yearly freight cost.

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Source: thenationonlineng.net

Nigerian Navy shocked, angry

Philip Nwosu

Miffed by the audacity of some pipeline vandals in Lagos, operatives of the Nigerian Navy working under the Defence headquarters operations to clear the Lagos and Ogun areas of vandals, have shut down over 300 illegal oil wells in the Atlas Cove area of Lagos.

The wells, it was gathered, were dug above the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines transporting imported petroleum product from Atlas Cove to the Mosomi depot of the organization.

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Source: sunnewsonline.com

Ghana starts construction of new naval base

Ghana’s president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has officially launched construction of the country’s new naval base with a sod-turning ceremony.

Akufo-Addo said the base is part of the country’s efforts to improve maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and protect the country’s oil and gas sector. Construction of the Forward Operating Base in Ezilinbo in the country’s Western Region began on 16 December 2019.

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Source: defenceweb.co.za

20 guards arrested over construction of illegal oil wells

By Eugene Agha

Twenty security officials securing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the construction of over 310 illegal oil wells for the purpose of syphoning petroleum products.

It was learnt that the guards arrested, including officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), are among those posted to secure NNPC pipelines that runs from Atlas Cove to Ejigbo and Mosimi depots both in Lagos and Ogun states.

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Source: dailytrust.com.ng

Oil bunkering: Navy hands over 57 Nigerians, 7 Sri-Lankans, 2 Ghanaians to EFCC

Ndubuisi Ugah

The war against oil bunkering and sea pirates received a major boost yesterday when the Nigerian Navy (NN) handed over 57 Nigerians, seven Sri- Lankans and two Ghanaians, suspected to be involved in oil bunkering, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also reports that the seven vessels, involved in the oil bunkering and having no valid approval, were arrested by the Nigerian Navy between December 3 and 30, 2019. While addressing journalists, after the handing over to the EFCC, the Commandant of NN ship, NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Ibrahim Shettima, said the nation would have lost N906,250, 000, if the culprits had been successful in their operation.

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Source: newtelegraphng.com

Why Pirates Are Giving Up On Oil

By Julianne Geiger

Piracy in some of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints is on the rise–but now, pirates are resorting back to another method of income generation better suited to times of lower oil prices: taking human captives.

Sometimes, black market oil prices just aren’t lucrative enough. In the days of $100 oil, oil theft was a hot commodity. Today, pirates are supplementing their stolen oil income with ransomed sailors, creating a whole new set of problems for the oil industry to tackle.

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Source: oilprice.com

Asia Minute: Piracy Surges in Southeast Asia

By Bill Dorman

2020 began with celebrations around the around the world. And as always, the Asia Pacific was the first region to ring in the New Year. But while fireworks an dparties marked the event — there’s also a ton of caution in one area for an unusual reason: pirates.

Pirates are making a bit of a comeback in one of the busiest commercial shipping ares of the world — in Southeast Asia. An industry group says the Strait of Malacca and the Strait of Singapore have experienced a rise in sea piracy in recent months, and a relative surge in 2019.

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Source: hawaiipublicradio.org

Pirates attack Port Harcourt-bound vessel off Bonny

Anna Okon

Pirates attacked a vessel that left Lagos for Port Harcourt while proceeding south west of Bonny Island.

The vessel, Drogba, was attacked on December 30. The ‘Drogba’ enroute from Lagos to Port Harcourt was attacked by armed pirates in a speedboat in vicinity within 48 nautical miles off Bonny.

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Source: punchng.com