Brazilian Navy Participates in Training to Counter Crimes at Sea on the African Coast

Naval forces from 33 countries came together for exercise Obangame Express to work on countering piracy, drug trafficking, and illegal fishing, which are common in the Gulf of Guinea.

Andréa Barretto

The Brazilian Navy (MB, in Portuguese) participated in the multinational exercise Obangame Express, on the African Coast, for the sixth time. Since 2010, the training gathers naval forces from Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The objective is to boost regional cooperation and promote maritime domain awareness.

The African Coast faces issues such as drug, arms, and human trafficking; illegal fishing, and piracy. During the two-week exercise, Obangame also develops information sharing standards and vessel interdiction expertise, to counter illegal activities at sea.

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Source: dialogo-americas.com

*Brazilian Navy and Angolan Navy service members raise their country flags, on board the Brazilian ship Araguari, deployed for exercise Obangame Express 2019. (Photo: Brazilian Navy)*

Nigeria’s Economy Bleeds with N995bn Loss Annually to Crude Oil Theft’

By Babatunde Akinsola

A consultant to the Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC), Mr. Niyi Awodeyi, has disclosed that about N995.2 billion is lost annually due to crude oil theft. Awodeyi, which said the amount was discovered in a recent findings, also estimated that N3.8trillion was lost in 2016.

Awodeyi, who also quoted a World Bank report stated that 80 per cent of crude oil revenue in Nigeria was in possession of just one percent of the country’s population, stated that the award of security contracts, “gave the actors access to the pipelines”, with surprise increase in crude oil theft.

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Source: naija247news.com

Nigeria ranks highest in piracy, vessel stowaways — Insurance report

Nike Popoola

Nigeria overtook Indonesia in global piracy incidents in the maritime sector, accounting for one out of every four reported cases in 2018, according to the latest report by Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty, a global corporate insurance carrier and a key business unit of Allianz Group.

The report also revealed that Nigeria’s port saw the highest number of reported cases of stowaways on commercial vessels.

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Source: punchng.com

Nigerian piracy levels deemed ‘unacceptable’, international solutions sought

SAM CHAMBERS

Some of shipping’s top stakeholders met on Friday at the London headquarters of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to demand action to counter the dire piracy situation off the Gulf of Guinea, which is causing severe distress for seafarers who have to transit the region.

The event, co-sponsored by BIMCO, IMCA, ICS, ITF and OCIMF, drew members of the shipping community, flag states and agencies from the Gulf of Guinea.

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Source: splash247.com

Piracy: India bars seafarers from working on Nigerian waters

Anna Okon

Following the increasing rate of piracy and hijacking of the crew for ransom in Nigerian waters, especially in the Gulf of Guinea, Indian Directorate General of Shipping in Mumbai, has issued a restriction on all seafarers who are Indian nationals, banning them from working in vessels in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.

In a circular sent to all shipping owners, shipping companies and other practitioners which was signed by the Director-General of Shipping in India, Capt Anish Joseph, the state reportedly observed that there was an increasing trend in the number of incidents taking place inside the various coastal states jurisdiction in the GoG.

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Source: punchng.com

Nigeria’s oil thieves roar back as militants kept in check

By ELISHA BALA-GBOGBO

ABUJA (Bloomberg) — Just as Nigeria gets to grips with militants who brought the nation’s oil industry to its knees a few years ago, another group of longstanding foes are slowly making a comeback: thieves.

Saboteurs including thieves caused an 80% increase in the number of spills in 2018, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, the largest international producer in the West African country, said in a report last month. By contrast, there have been no militant-related halts to operations since 2016.

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Source: worldoil.com

Why pipeline vandalism, crude theft exist in Niger- Delta

by Akinola Ajibade

The decision by the Federal Government to delay the implementation of the community engagement standards in Niger-Delta may have resulted in the spate of unwholesome activities in the region, an energy expert, Meka Olowola, has said.

He said the activities include pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft and other untoward practices in the region, adding that the development has slowed down oil production in Nigeria.

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Source: thenationonlineng.net

Switzerland drags Nigeria to Intl tribunal over seized ship

Switzerland has asked an international court to order Nigeria to release a Swiss-flagged oil tanker, its cargo and crew that have been detained off Port Harcourt for the past 16 months.

The Swiss foreign ministry said in a statement weekend that it had appealed on May 21 to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to order Nigeria to release the San Padre Pio tanker.

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Source: orientdailynews.com.ng

Oil rig worker kidnapped in Nigeria has been freed after a month

Emma Yeomans

A Scottish oil worker held captive in Nigeria has been freed a month after armed men stormed his rig.

John Hiddleston, 65, was working on a rig in the Delta region when gunmen dragged him and two others, a Canadian and a Nigerian, into a swamp.

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Source: thetimes.co.uk

Navy Recruits 1,176 To Fight Sea Pirates

The Nigerian Navy has recruited 1,176 young men and women to aid the fight against sea pirates and oil bunkers in the nation’s maritime domain.

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin, stated this in a statement made available to The Tide shortly after the passing out parade of Batch 28, Basic Training School in Onne. He said the trainees underwent rigorous physical and mental training for seven months to prepare them for internal security operations across the country.

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Source: thetidenewsonline.com