Even though the Nigerian Navy said last week that 34 piracy and 20 sea robbery attacks were recorded in the nation’s maritime domain last year, the Merchant Navy Directorate has faulted this figure, saying that the total number of attacks recorded last year was 79.
The Directorate also said that so far between January and February 2019, 15 fresh attacks have been recorded.
Speaking exclusively with Shipping Position Daily in Lagos last week, Secretary of the Directorate, Capt Alfred Oniye said that seafarers onboard ships were being threatened not to report attacks on ships.
Oniye, a United Navy Seal trained maritime expert alleged that the Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) were covering up most of the figures.
He raised an alarm that if NIMASA fails to address the discrimination against its Certificate of Competency (COC) by international vessels, more Nigerian seafarers would remain jobless and may end up kidnapping NIMASA Directors for ransom.
Speaking further, he said; "Last year, the attacks recorded in this industry was 79, that is the one we know and we have the fact and records, this is the ones that were reported, what about the ones that were not reported"
"Most of the seafarers are being threatened not to report attacks, so definitely we had more than 79 attacks in 2018. If anybody tells you that the attacks we had last year was 34, they are lying, they have no prove and they are merely doing this to cover their weakness, because they have failed"
"On territorial waters, Nigerian navy only cover 5%, contiguous one they only cover 1%, inland they only cover 36 creeks out of 6,000"
"In this year alone, we have recorded 15 attacks, I have the fact with us with evidence, this is the ones reported. We could do this because we are certified intelligence personnel this is why we could know"
He said most of the attacks are orchestrated with collaboration from security officers who have been compromised. The Directorate Scribe also alleged that people committing the attacks are certified seafarers who do not have jobs.
"If NIMASA does not do anything about the unemployed seafarers, a time is coming they would begin to kidnap NIMASA staff, the directors are already exposed to that"
"The game is going to shift from seafarers and foreigners, it would shift to NIMASA directors, some of them would not be able to enter their offices again, they know the problems, they are the ones collecting money from these boys to regulate their certificates"
After giving the certificates, Capt Oniye said the seafarers do not get jobs, adding that the certificate issued cannot also be used outside Nigeria. He said some Nigerian ships do not also accept Nigerian certificates, "Ghana certificate is acceptable than Nigeria COC, and when this continues what happens, they would bounce back on you"
"We are not saying this to pamper criminality, we have also sailed the creeks", he added.
While speaking on security for ships by the Secured Anchorage Area (SAA) in Lagos, Capt Oniye said the security contract is a waste of resources.
According to him, "You concessioned maritime security so that vessel who need security can hide there and pay, the money paid to Secure Anchorage is more than if we have an agency in charge, these money go to a private pockets"
"Of recent, there was an attack at Secured Anchorage; this is to tell you that they don't have what it takes to secure the water"
'Under maritime security, what secured anchorage is doing is acrobatic display, the gun boat displayed there can not stop attacks", he said.
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