Kenya committed to meeting maritime framework expectations

His Excellency Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta the President and Commander-in -Chief of the the Kenya Defence Forces at the officiall launch of the Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS) in 2018

Multi agency cooperation remains the only way to address maritime crimes as it sends a strong and unified message to pirates and other organized criminals to cease their illegal trade.

Speaking during a Regional meeting on “Capacity Building Coordination for Enhanced Maritime Security in the West Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden and Donor Forum”at a Mombasa hotel, defense Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo said progress has been made to enhance Maritime domain awareness through multi agency collaboration.

“I have observed directly the benefits that have accrued from the Maritime code of conduct appended in Djibouti by member states geared towards near eradication of piracy,” said Omamo.

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Source: kbc.co.ke

ReCAAP issues October 2019 report

INCIDENTS OF PIRACY AND ARMED ROBBERY AGAINST SHIPS IN ASIA IN OCTOBER 2019

A total of seven incidents of armed robbery against ships1 were reported in Asia in October 2019. No piracy2 incident was reported. There were also no reports of abduction of crew in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off Eastern Sabah; and no hijacking of ships for theft of oil cargo reported in October 2019. However, the abduction of crew for ransom in the Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off Eastern Sabah remains a serious concern. The ReCAAP ISC is also concerned about the increase in the number of incidents reported on board ships while underway in the Singapore Strait.

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Source: recaap.org

Senate Wants Deep Blue Sea Project Fast-Tracked To Fight Piracy

The Senate on Wednesday called on Nigeria’s maritime agency to quickly fast-track the implementation of the Deep Blue Sea Project for the protection of Nigeria’s waterways to combat the menace of pirates and armed bandits.

This resolution was a sequel to a motion titled “urgent need to address the menace of piracy and banditry in the Gulf of Guinea and Nigeria’s internal waters.”

The Senate also urged the federal government to deploy more naval personnel on the Oron coastal area to check the activities of pirates and bandits.

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Source: channelstv.com

Four Immigration officers kidnapped by sea pirates rescued by Navy

By Tola Adenubi

The Nigerian Navy, early on Wednesday morning, rescued four officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), who were abducted on the Bonny River in the evening of Monday by suspected armed sea pirates.

Disclosing this to newsmen on Wednesday, the Commanding Officer of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) of the Nigerian Navy, Navy Capt. Kola Oguntuga explained that the officers were rescued during a surprise operation by the maritime component of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta Safe; and the FOB of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Pathfinder.

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Source: tribuneonlineng.com

Four senior immigration officers abducted in Rivers

By Bisi Olaniyi

Four senior officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) were on Tuesday morning kidnapped on Bonny waterway in Rivers State.

An indigene of coastal Bonny, the headquarters of Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers, who spoke in confidence through the telephone, disclosed that the immigration personnel left Bonny for Port Harcourt, the state capital for documentation and other official matters at NIS’ headquarters, when the sea pirates attacked them on the high sea, thereby whisking them away in a Commando-like style.

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Source: thenationonlineng.net

ITF Calls for Action on Gulf of Guinea Piracy

Following back-to-back attacks on two vessels in the Gulf of Guinea last week, the International Transport Worker’ Federation has called for urgent global and regional cooperation to fight piracy off West Africa.

On November 2, pirates kidnapped nine crewmembers from the Norwegian-flagged MV Bonita while the vessel was at anchor off the coast of Benin. Two days later, four crewmembers were taken hostage off the coast of neighboring Togo from the Greek-flagged Elka Aristotle. Several other abductions have been reported in the Gulf of Guinea in recent months, including eight crewmembers taken hostage off Cameroon in August and 10 seafarers off the coast of Nigeria in July.

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Source: maritime-executive.com

Oil theft and Nigeria’s self-imposed poverty

Jerry Uwah

Nigeria is wallowing in self-imposed poverty. The situation would remain so for a pretty long time because no one in federal government has the political will power to confront the elements of backwardness in the land. Agriculture has remained in the hands of millions of peasant farmers who eke out a living through subsistent farming with primitive implements. Nigeria cannot feed its teeming population.

Nigeria is practically broke, but the federal government insists that what it is battling is sporadic cash flow problems rather than absolute cash crunch.

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Source: blueprint.ng

We’re engaging security agencies to secure waterways – NIWA

The Managing Director of the Nigeria Inland Waterway Authority (NIWA) Dr George Muoghalu, said the authority is engaging security agencies, especially the Nigerian Navy to play the expected role of ensuring that the waterways are secured and safe for use.

He also said the Authority was working hard to ensure that the 10000 kilometers waterways are all year round navigated.

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Source: dailytrust.com.ng

Navy ships ‘Ang Pangulo,’ ‘Emilio Jacinto’ deployed to Mindanao for relief ops, maritime patrol

By Martin Sadongdong

Philippine Navy (PN) vessels BRP “Ang Pangulo” (ACS25) and BRP “Emilio Jacinto” (PS35) were sent to Mindanao on Monday to help in the on-going relief operations for the victims of the series of earthquakes and for maritime security.

Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad, Navy Flag Officer in Command, led the send-off ceremony held at Pier 13, South Harbor in Manila.

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Source: news.mb.com.ph

Maritime Security in Gulf of Guinea: France advocates concerted efforts

Mrs Genevieve Darrieussecq, the Secretary of State to the French Minister for the Armed Forces, has advocated for concerted efforts to address the challenges of maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.

She said concerted efforts were needed to carry out a decisive work to combat the scourges that threaten safety at sea, which was an indispensable work for the development of the West Africa sub-region.

Mrs. Darrieussecq made the appeal in Accra at the G7++ Friends of the Gulf of Guinea Group (G7++FoGG) 2019 summit.

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Source: businessghana.com