The United States and Gabon Assume the Co-Secretariat of the Friends of Gulf of Guinea

The Department of State is pleased to announce that the United States and the Republic of Gabon have assumed the co-secretariat of the Friends of Gulf of Guinea, also known as the FoGG, for calendar year 2020.

Working together, we will promote unimpeded global commerce and freedom of navigation; strengthen sustainable marine ecosystems, including fish stocks and related seafood supply chains; and enhance maritime governance in the Gulf of Guinea.

The Gulf of Guinea is vital for the shipment of goods, but it is also a rich marine ecosystem that millions of Africans depend on for their livelihoods. We welcome the active participation of all the regional coastal states to make progress in these critical areas.

Source: state.gov

Minerva Marine tanker attacked by pirates off Benin

Jason Jiang

The 2006-built 51,000 dwt product tanker Minerva Virgo, owned by Greek owner Minerva Marine, was attacked by pirates off Cotonou, Benin in the Gulf of Guinea yesterday.

Maritime security consultants Ambrey reported in an advisory notice that the vessel has been attacked and boarded by pirates while it was en route from the Netherlands to Lagos, Nigeria. Ambrey described the incident as ongoing and strongly advises vessels to respond accordingly.

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Source: splash247.com

MarsecNews: The original incident alert from MDAT-GoG contained few details, but there have been suggestions that one crew member may have been kidnapped, although this has not been verified.

EFCC Arraigns Bunkerers, Vessel for Illegal Oil Deal

By Tony Orilade

EFCC Arraigns Bunkerers, Vessel for Illegal Oil Deal The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, March 4, 2020, arraigned four suspected criminals and a vessel before Justice A.M. Liman of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on a three-count charge bordering on illegal dealing in petroleum products.

The defendants, Ukwuoma Ahamefula, Omeogor Nelson, Efemuaya Evans and Jude Eghreriniovo, were arrested alongside a vessel, MV Tim Begele, by the Nigerian Navy and subsequently handed over to the EFCC for prosecution.

One of the counts reads: “That you, MV Tim Begele, Ukwuoma Ahamefula, Omeogor Nelson, Efemuaya Evans, Jude Eghreriniovo and others now at large on the 3rd of December, 2019, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, conspired among yourselves to commit an offence to wit: dealing in 3,911 metric tons of petroleum products without appropriate licence; and you, thereby, committed an offence contrary to Section 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under Section 1(17) of the same Act.”

They pleaded “not guilty” to the charge preferred against them.

In view of their pleas, counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, prayed the court for a trial date and also asked that the defendants be remanded in Nigerian Correctional Services, NCS.

Counsel for the defendants, Peter Atabo, prayed the Court for a short date to enable the hearing of his clients’ applications for bail.

Consequently, Justice Liman adjourned the matter until April 1, 2020 for hearing and also ordered the defendants to be remanded in the NCS.

Source: prnigeria.com

Russian Baltic Fleet warship visits Sri Lanka in anti-piracy deployment to Indian Ocean

Photo: PO Lee Blease/MOD via Wikipedia and OGL

Yaroslav Mudry guard ship will search for a notional enemy’s submarine with a Ka-27 helicopter’s take-off while the anti-terror squads on the ships and vessels will practice various scenarios of fighting pirates in the Indian Ocean

MOSCOW, March 4. /TASS/. The Baltic Fleet guard ship Yaroslav Mudry has made a planned business call at the port of Colombo in Sri Lanka in its anti-piracy deployment to the Indian Ocean, the Fleet’s press office reported on Wednesday.

“During its anchorage in Colombo, the crew will replenish fresh water, fuel and food supplies and technically inspect the ship. After completing its visit that will last through March 6, the Baltic Fleet guard ship will continue its anti-piracy watch in the Indian Ocean,” the press office said in a statement.

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Source: lankaweb.com

Niger Delta: Smuggling, insecurity rise at private jetties

By Godfrey Bivbere

STAKEHOLDERS in the maritime industry have raised an alarm over high-level of smuggling through operations at the various private jetties scattered across the nation’s waterfront, even as they warmed about the security implication of an unregulated operations at these facilities.

Private jetties are licensed by the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA; the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA; and the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, making effective regulation complicated.

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Source: vanguardngr.com

Criminal gangs take over Lagos – S/South waterways

By Godfrey Bivbere

COMMUNITY-based criminal gangs have taken over the nation’s waterways, from Lagos to the South-South part of the country, collecting tolls from all vessels sailing through that route.

Vanguard Maritime Report gathered that worst hit are barge owners from Warri axis who have been moving their barges to Lagos following the new trend of movement of cargo by barges from the ports to the private jetties.

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Source: vanguardngr.com

Indonesia approves plan to receive ScanEagle UAVs, helicopter upgrades from US

Ridzwan Rahmat, Singapore – Jane’s Navy International

The Indonesian House of Representatives’ commission on defence, intelligence, and foreign affairs (Komisi I) has approved a plan for the navy to receive up to 14 ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and upgrades for three Bell 412 helicopters from the US government.

The approval, which is part of an Indonesian government formality for foreign-sourced defence-related grants, was approved by the Komisi I on 26 February.

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Source: janes.com

Coast Guard probes foreign ship for violating PH quarantine rule

DETAINED. The 'MV Harmony 6' is held at the anchorage area of Poro Point in La Union after its captain allegedly lied about their date of departure from China. Photo from Philippine Coast Guard

The Philippine Coast Guard says the captain of the Panama-flagged MV Harmony 6 declared that they left Changzhou, China, on February 10, when the ship’s real departure date was February 18. The ship arrived in La Union on February 23.

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is investigating a foreign cargo vessel for allegedly violating the Philippines’ 14-day quarantine rule amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

PCG Spokesperson Commodore Armand Balilio said that PCG Commandant Admiral Joel Garcia ordered the investigation of the Panama-flagged MV Harmony 6, which arrived at Poro Point in La Union on February 23.

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Source: rappler.com

Nigeria unveils two vessels to tackle piracy

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has unveiled two Special Mission Vessels, DB Lagos and DB Abuja, to eliminate embarrassment caused by piracy on Nigeria’s waterways.The Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, said in Lagos on Tuesday that the arrival of the vessels demonstrated the determination of the Federal Government to restore Nigeria to tackle piracy.

Local media reports on Wednesday quoted Peterside as saying that the events have brought Nigeria to near crescendo in ensuring the elimination of criminality on its waterways and to bring about absolute tranquility in the nation’s water corridors.

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Source: journalducameroun.com

Weekly report details growing number of shipping companies targeted by malware attacks

Sam Chambers

Cyber consultants Red Sky Alliance with maritime security specialists Dryad Global have started publishing a weekly list of names of ships appearing in malicious emails with hackers increasingly targeting this niche with malware or phishing links.

The weekly reports come at a time where maritime organisations are coming under increasingly sophisticated attacks with the charity, International Seafarers’ Welfare & Assistance Network, becoming the latest organisation to suffer at the hands of hackers, reporting today emails are being sent out with subject lines asking for your opinion on seafarers’ welfare and a malware link contained in the email.

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Source: splash247.com