Naval Forces of countries along the Gulf of Guinea cannot maintain maritime security alone without cooperation and collaboration from relevant stakeholders, Rear Admiral Seth Amoama, Chief of the Naval Staff has said.
Rear Admiral Amoama observed that every area of maritime security has its dimensions that required cooperation and collaboration with relevant actors to drive up issues such as environmental protection, sustainable fishing and over-exploitation of other resources in the sea.
The Senate has threatened to compel the Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, via a warrant, to appear before it to answer questions on his agency’s involvement in the operation of alleged illegal security services in the nation’s waterways.
The Senate Joint Committee on Navy, Marine Transport and Finance yesterday described the Dakuku’s failure to honour its invitation as disrespectful.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The House of Representatives has asked for an end to the burning of seized bunkered petroleum resources due to its impact on the environment.
The House urged the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, Chief of Naval, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete-Ibas and Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, to put an end to the current system.
Pirates Friday night raided Opurudiegbene community in Burutu council area of Delta State, carting away generators, household appliances and an unspecified amount of cash. It was learnt that three children are missing following the attack. A source said sporadic shooting caused fear in the community as pirates robbed shop owners and other residents of the coastal community.
According to a victim, Mr. Philip Amatu, the attackers are youngsters between ages 17 years and 24 years. “They came in a speed boat with sophisticated weapons and shot sporadically into the air to scare us. We ran for our lives. We know some of them and their villages.”
Seven crew aboard a supply ship for the oil industry in Equatorial Guinea were kidnapped when “pirates” attacked their vessel, the oil and gas ministry said in a statement on Friday.
The US oil giant ExxonMobil reported that the supply ship Warden, which it was chartering from the oil services firm Swire, was attacked on Wednesday in the country’s territorial waters, it said.
The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas has directed naval commands to ensure that recently arrested vessels are processed and handed over to appropriate prosecuting agencies not later than 15 December 2019.
Addressing Principal Staff Officers, Flag Officers Commanding and Commanders of autonomous naval commands, Vice Admiral Ibas directed these units to work closely with zonal offices of prosecuting agencies and inform the Naval Headquarters and headquarters of such agencies of the handing over process.
Maritime Security News 