Maritime Security: Neo-colonialism in the Gulf of Guinea

By Munro Anderson, Dryad Global

Is neo-colonialism in the Gulf of Guinea the answer to West Africa’s maritime crime crisis?

In October 2020, China’s transport ministry established an ad hoc workgroup to lay down precautionary measures for ships and seafarers passing through high piracy risk West African waters.

The move came as China told its vessels to up vigilance and implement a series of precautionary measures to ensure the security of ocea-going vessels and seafarers amid rising attacks and a surge in kidnaps in the Gulf of Guinea.

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Source: marinelink.com

Fresh fears of piracy on Nigerian waters in 2021

By Sulaimon Salau

With the enormous havoc wrecked by the activities of the pirates in the Gulf of Guinea last year, shippers are yet to heave a sigh of relief as they are still in fear as to what the year holds for the seaborne trade.

The Gulf of Guinea’s coastal water constitutes a central shipping lane and experiences high piracy threats. Pirates regularly target commercial ships, bulk carriers, cargo ships and crews. Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea continues to spread, with several new hotspots emerging in recent months.

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Source: guardian.ng

New strategies needed to eradicate piracy

A recent report has refocused attention on the debilitating effects of piracy on Nigeria’s coastal waters and the economy and the need for stronger official response. In reaction to alarming data by the International Maritime Bureau showing that the Gulf of Guinea accounts for over 90 per cent of global piracy and sea-based kidnapping, the Chinese authorities, leading other foreign nations, have suggested extra security protocols to protect their maritime trade with Nigeria and other sub-regional partners. The Federal Government needs to take extraordinary measures to secure its coastal waters through which 90 per cent of its international trade is conducted.

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Source: punchng.com

IRGC Seizes South Korean-Flagged Ship

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Navy has seized a South Korean-flagged ship in the Persian Gulf over environmental hazards, sources said.

Informed sources told Tasnim on Monday that the Iranian forces have seized the ship in the Persian Gulf due to environmental and chemical pollution concerns.

The ship has been seized by the IRGC naval forces.

Source: tasnimnews.com

MarsecNews: The news comes as reports emerged that the USS Nimitz, which was poised to return to the US this week, has now reverted and returned to its deployment in the Gulf, amid what US outlets referred to as “threats” against outgoing President Trump.

Multiple piracy attacks rock Bonny waters, threaten NLNG vessel

By Tola Adenubi

Multiple piracy attacks within the Bonny waters has left a scare on a Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) vessel, LNG Lagos II while another vessel has been boarded by an unknown number of pirates within the Bonny Island waters.

In an advisory notice issued at the weekend by Dryad Global to nearby vessels within the Bonny waters, the United Kingdom-based maritime security firm revealed that a Singapore flagged container ship, Maersk Cadiz with IMO Number 9526459 was approached and boarded by an unknown number of suspected pirates while sailing from Tema to Kiribi at 118 nautical miles South West Bonny Island.

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Source: tribuneonlineng.com

U.S Government hands over equipment to Nigerian Navy to combats threats in Gulf of Guinea

By William Ukpe

The United States of America has handed over maritime equipment to the Nigerian Navy to secure maritime threats in the Gulf of Guinea and also promote bilateral relations between both nations.

This was disclosed by Claire Pierangelo, Consular General, U. S. Embassy, and Rear Adm. Oladele Daji, Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command (WNC) represented by Rear Adm. Tanko Pani, the Chief Staff Officer, during the handover ceremony on Friday.

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Source: nairametrics.com

Three Beninese Arrested In Lagos Waters While Stealing Petrol

The Nigerian Navy has arrested three nationals of Benin Republic in Lagos and handed them over to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps for allegedly stealing 6,250 litres of petrol.

While parading the suspects, Mr Paul Ayeni, the Commandant of the Lagos State Command, said they were apprehended by the patrol team of the Navy on December 5, at about 7.50 am.

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Source: saharareporters.com

Navy laments involvement of officers in crude oil theft, illegal bunkering

By Okodili Ndidi

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has decried the involvement of Naval personnel in illicit oil bunkering and crude oil theft.

He lamented that while there are significant achievements in the fight against this Maritime crime, there are pockets of personnel still colluding with criminals to sabotage the effort, adding that “the Navy in collaboration with other security agencies strives to protect the economic mainstay of the country through various operations.”

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Source: thenationonlineng.net

‘122 seafarers kidnapped in Gulf of Guinea this year’

By Sulaimon Salau

With the latest piracy attack involving the kidnap of four seafarers, 122 crew members have so far been abducted from vessels in the Gulf of Guinea this year.

The latest piracy attack involving a crude oil tanker is estimated by Dryad Global (UK-based maritime security firm) as the 24th confirmed kidnapping incident in the waters of the Gulf of Guinea in 2020.

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Source: guardian.ng

US Navy/Combined Maritime Forces in drugs seizure

Maritime Interdiction in North Arabian Sea, 4 December 2020

The guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114), deployed to U.S. Fifth Fleet and operating in support of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), interdicted a shipment of more than 2,000lbs (900kgs) of suspected narcotics from a vessel in the international waters of the Arabian Sea, Dec. 4.

This seizure, conducted in direct support of CMF’s Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, marks the fourth CMF drugs seizure since October. The narcotics are currently in U.S. custody awaiting analysis. To mitigate the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19, the boarding team undertook carefully executed precautionary measures during and after the boarding, to include decontamination of all seized contraband.

Ralph Johnson initially identified a dhow loitering without power in international waters. The ship approached to determine if the dhow required assistance, and a subsequent search discovered the narcotics.

CMF is a multinational maritime partnership which exists to counter illicit non-state actors in international waters, promoting security, stability and prosperity in the Arabian Gulf, the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman. CTF 150 conducts maritime security operations outside the Arabian Gulf to disrupt criminal and terrorist organisations, ensuring legitimate commercial shipping can transit the region, free from non-state threats. CTF 150 is currently led by the Royal Saudi Naval Force, the second time the country’s Navy has led the task force.

Source: combinedmaritimeforces.com