Piracy: Community Chairman Wants Deployment Of Gunboats

Worried by the unabated sea pirate attacks which have resulted in constant fears and loss of several lives on the waterways, Chairman of the Community Development Committee of Bille Kingdom, Dr Somieari Isaac, has pleaded with the government to deploy the Navy to station in the New Calabar and Sombriero Rivers to check criminality on the waterways.

Making the appeal in a chat with The Tide, last Monday, in Port Harcourt, the CDC Chairman noted that several months after the Governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, and the Chairman of DELGA, Dr Tony Philmoore, launched the ‘Operation Sting’ security outfit, the community is yet to see a single gunboat patrolling the waterways.

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Source: thetidenewsonline.com

Pirates kidnap four crew from Greek boat off Togo – Togo navy

LOME (Reuters) – Pirates attacked a Greek oil tanker off the coast of Togo in the early hours of Monday and fled after taking four crew members as hostages, the West African nation’s navy said, two days after a similar attack in the waters of neighbouring Benin.

Of the missing crew members, two are Filipinos, one is Greek and one is Georgian, the navy said in a statement. One security guard was also shot and wounded in the attack, it said. “Monday, 4th of November 2019, around 0300, the tanker boat Elka Aristotle […] was attacked around 18 kilometres (11 miles) from the port of Lome by armed individuals,” the statement said.

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Source: euronews.com

Nine sailors abducted off the coast of Benin

A Norway-based shipping company says that nine of its employees have been abducted from one of its vessels while it was moored off the coast of Benin in West Africa.

Shipping firm J.J. Ugland said the cargo ship, the Bonita, was attacked on Saturday by pirates 15km (9 miles) off the coast.

The crew’s identity and nationality have not been made public, but the shipping firm said the rest of the crew moved the vessel into the Port of Cotonou in Benin.

The ship was carrying a cargo of gypsum, a mineral commonly used as fertiliser, which was destined for Benin, the firm said.

While piracy has decreased world wide, West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea remains notorious for abductions by armed groups who usually demand ransoms for the safe return of victims.

Several abductions have been reported in the region in recent months, including eight crew members taken from a German-owned vessel off Cameroon in August, and 10 Turkish sailors off the coast of Nigeria in July.

Source: bbc.com

7 soldiers wounded in separate encounters with suspected Abu Sayyaf members in Sulu

Seven soldiers were wounded following separate clashes with suspected Abu Sayyaf men in Patikul, Sulu on Wednesday, a regional military spokesperson said Thursday.

According to Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command’s Major Arvin Encinas, the first encounter lasted for 50 minutes when operating troops of the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion engaged the local terrorists at Sitio Kan Mindang in Barangay Pangdanon.

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Source: gmanetwork.com

Multinational maritime exercise begins in Nigerian waters

by Lawal Sherifat

A five-day combined naval exercise has been flagged off in Nigerian waters. The maritime exercise, codenamed: “Grand African Nemo (Navy exercise for maritime operations) involves the participation of four Nigerian Navy ships and a helicopter.

The Exercise, being coordinated by the Nigerian Navy, according to a statement, Wednesday, by the naval spokesman, Commodore Sueman Dahun,” is aimed at supporting the efforts of regional navies to counter criminal activities in the maritime domain through different operational modes of planned exercises.”

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Source: vanguardngr.com

Mindef committed to Sabah, Sarawak security: Mat Sabu

Kuala Lumpur: The Ministry of Defence is committed to strengthening security in Sabah and Sarawak to curb external threats including transborder kidnapping, said its Minister Mohamad Sabu.

He said said the territorial sovereignty, security and prosperity of the people are a priority of the government. “Generally, the security of Sabah and Sarawak at present is regulated by operations by the military services namely the army, the Royal Malaysian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Air Force,” Mohamad was quoted as saying by defence news website airtimes.my on Wednesday.

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Source: dailyexpress.com.my

Use legitimate routes: Marine police

LAHAD DATU: Those entering or leaving Sabah should use the legitimate routes, said Sabah Region 4 Marine Police Force Commander ACP Mohamad Pajeri Ali. He said this was a reminder to avoid mishaps and untoward incidents.

“We (Malaysia) has a system, exit and enter legally, for example there is a CIQ in Tawau or the Sandakan Port. But most use illegal routes from neighbouring countries, taking the easy way to run from the law without thinking about safety as anything can happen in the middle of the sea,’’ he said.

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Source: dailyexpress.com.my

NASS petitioned over secure anchorage area

A group pushing for security of shipping services in the country has petitioned the National Assembly over the pronouncement by the Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA), instructing shipping operators to stop paying for personalised security services offered in the Secured Ancourage Area, (SAA) operated by the Nigerian Navy in collaboration with private firm, Ocean Marine Solutions (OMS) Limited.

The group, under the aegis of “Association of Professionals for Safety in Shipping in Nigeria,” APOSSIN, noted that the directive was not only ill-advised but also will be counter-productive, stressing that NPA does not have the authority to make such pronouncement on an arrangement by another agency of government to deliver on its mandate. The SAA is outside the port limits and hence not under the administrative control of the NPA. Security of the nation’s maritime domain statutorily rests on the Nigerian Navy. NPA by the pronouncement is interfering with the functions of the Nigerian Navy, a move that must be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians.

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Source: vanguardngr.com

4 Australian warships now in PH for various activities

By: Dale G. Israel

CEBU CITY –– Four Australian warships are in the Philippines for various activities, including military exercises, as part of their cooperation with their counterparts in the Philippine Navy and Coast Guard.

The frigate warships, including HMAS Stuart, HMAS Leeuwin, HMAS Sirius, and HMAS Ararat, participated in the recent commemoration of the Leyte Gulf Landing last Oct 20. They provided the backdrop in the reenactment event.

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Source: globalnation.inquirer.net

Incidents involving ships while underway in the eastbound lane of Singapore Strait

Approximate location of the incidents in Singapore Strait

During January-October 2019 (as of 19 Oct), three incidents of unauthorised boarding of ships in locations of close proximity to each other were reported in the western sector of Singapore Strait. All three incidents occurred to ships of Gross Tonnage between 43,000 and 160,000 while underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS). Of concern was the latest incident on 19 Oct 19 which involved perpetrators who were armed with gun and knife. The perpetrators threatened the crew, tied his hands and escaped with the ship engine spares. The gun was not discharged.

With the occurrence of three incidents in close proximity to each other within a period of 20 days (on 30 Sep, 18 Oct and 19 Oct), the ReCAAP ISC advises all ships to exercise enhanced vigilance, adopt extra precautionary measures and report all incidents immediately to the nearest coastal State. The ReCAAP ISC recommends to the law enforcement agencies of the littoral States to step up surveillance, increase patrols and respond promptly to incidents reported by ships.

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Source: recaap.org