We cover piracy, armed robbery at sea, IUU fishing, maritime cyber security and maritime security issues.
By Iniabasi Umo
The Nigerian Navy in Akwa Ibom State has arrested 8 suspects with 112 drums of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
The eight suspects were arrested with the drums of petrol in a wooden boat around the Abgani area by Navy patrol gun boats and were said to be heading to Cameroon.
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Source: dailytrust.com.ng
By Eugene Agha
Eleven persons suspected to be pirates were at the weekend arrested by naval operatives attached to the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, in Lagos.
The naval operatives also arrested a logistics vessel, MV TIM GBEGELE, allegedly used by the pirates to steal petroleum products.
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Source: dailytrust.com.ng
By Oko Ebuka
In the wake of the recent attack on a tanker vessel named, ‘Nave Constellation’, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, has said that the Agency is working in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy, NN, to ensure the release of the abducted seafarers as well as securing the lives of the remaining crew onboard.
19 crew members on board the vessel which was attacked off the coast of Bonny, Rivers State, were abducted leaving nine [MarsecNews: seven crew, according to incident reports] others behind.
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Source: vanguardngr.com
The piracy situation in West Africa has descended to new lows with a VLCC raided by armed men yesterday and 19 crew kidnapped. The attack on the Anglo-Eastern-managed Nave Constellation took place 66 nautical miles south of Bonny Offshore Terminal, and 24 nautical miles east of the Egina FPSO.
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Source: splash247.com
MarsecNews: Security sources say that the incident occurred at around 1820 UTC on December 3rd, some 80nm South of Bonny. The kidnapped group is believed to consist of 18 Indian nationals and one crew member from Turkey. Controlling such a large number of crew suggests an equally large number of perpetrators, something we haven’t seen in the region for a while.
Sanni Onogu
The Senate Tuesday raised the alarm over a contract by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to an Israeli security firm, HSLI, to police the nation’s waterways at a total cost of $198million.
The Senators queried Rear Admiral Tariworio Dick, who represented the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas, at a joint investigative hearing on the activities of the Ocean Marine Solutions Limited (OMSL) which hitherto provided security services at the Secured Anchorage Area (SAA) at the Lagos Port.
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Source: thenationonlineng.net
By Okafor Ofiebor
Confusion now pervades the coastal community of Ke-clan, Degema in Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State following the discovery of 11 yet-to-be identified corpses allegedly abandoned in a boat at the new Jerusalem Creek, close to Ke Clan.
The victims were suspected to have been killed by pirates operating along the waterways in the area. With frequent reports of sea pirates’ attacks on seafarers in the waterways in that area on the increase, the communities have denied knowledge of what went on around those creeks.
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Source: pmnewsnigeria.com
MarsecNews: Security sources in the region reported that Nigerian security assets were patrolling the Ke waterways on December 1st at around 1530 hours when they engaged pirates in three speedboats. Following the incident, the pirates escaped in two boats, leaving a third. On inspection, the security team found 11 dead bodies and one AK-47 in the boat. The bodies are believed to belong to local boat passengers, but this has yet to be confirmed. It’s certainly one of the most grisly discoveries in recent years in the Delta and will likely lead to an increased military presence.
The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has called on the police and other security personnel to put in place measures to ensure adequate security at the nation’s seaports.
MWUN President-General, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, in a statement made available to SHIPS & PORTS on Thursday, said the union, being a disciplined and responsible body, has zero tolerance for any form of criminality and anybody caught pilfering cargoes at the nation’s ports must be made to face the full weight of the law.
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Source: shipsandports.com.ng
Maritime Security News 