PIRACY: NIMASA Says IMB Reports Untrue, Gulf of Guinea Now Safe

Contrary to reports of escalating attacks by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) about pirates operating within the Nigerian maritime domain, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has assured that Nigeria's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as well as the Gulf of Guinea are secured.

The agency equally countered that it is not overwhelmed by its responsibilities, even as it assured that its recent collaborations with various security agencies in Nigeria; including the Navy, Nigerian Army and the Air Force have yielded positive results in curbing piracy on the waters.

Speaking at a sensitization conference on the partnership of NIMASA with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in Lagos yesterday, Director General of NIMASA, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi assured that piracy on Nigerian territorial waters has reduced considerably.

Akpobolokemi said that with the NIMASA surveillance system that was recently deployed, incidences of piracy have been reduced drastically with the agency arresting vessels and dislodging pirate activities on the waters.

"Those assertions are things of the past and not today, piracy has steadily reduced because of our enforcement capabilities, today we have a robust satellite system that covers our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ); including the Gulf of Guinea, it has helped us to intercept a lot of piracy operations, the situation is not as bad as it is being portrayed"

"If I take a self audit of what we have been able to do in the brief period which the current management has been in place at NIMASA, we can beat our chest and say we have done very well, we are not overwhelmed, we can rise to the occasion, we have the capability", he told the gathering.

He said that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which was entered into by NIMASA and Nigerian Air Force in 2013 has also assisted the agency to further consolidate on the success so far recorded by the agency.

"When there is a reported piracy case or oil theft and if there is need for immediate intervention and the boats are sluggish, the air force is called to bear. Search and rescue operations are time bound, so spontaneous response of the air force is key" he said.

This collaboration according to the NIMASA DG, will further give assurance to investors in the Nigerian maritime sector, while ship owners have been identified as highest beneficiaries of the NIMASA/NAF MoU.

Akpobolokemi said that NIMASA is obliged by its Act to enter into partnership with any government agency including the armed forces of Nigeria and any private organization.

He pointed out that the obligation of NIMASA in the collaboration with the Air Force is to provide logistics in terms of fueling and rendering other financial supports.

He said that the MoU will lead Nigeria into prosperity, bring about peace in its maritime environment, create jobs, and sustain the economy.

Also speaking at the conference, Chief of Air Staff; Air Marshal Adesola Nunayon Amosu said that his agency entered into partnership with NIMASA because of consequence of pirates on Nigerian economy.

Amosu who was represented by Air Vice Marshal Adebowale Odunlade assured that the NAF is committed to actualising the MoU to the fullest.

"The success of the MoU depends on inter-agency cooperation and information sharing, we shall supply tactical air operation in support of NIMASA" he assured.

He said the Air Force had recently acquired new platforms which will be deployed by NAF to assist NIMASA in combating piracy.

However, in his paper presentation, which touched on legality of the MoU, legal adviser to NIMASA, Barr. Mathew Egbadon cautioned that in cases of piracy, the Air Force can only be deployed with proper authorization from heads of both agencies.

"To deploy NAF, there must be proper authorization and this must be a last resort, there is no need killing a fly with a sledge hammer", he cautioned.