A private maritime security company has launched a service in West Africa, claiming to be the first to offer its own armed teams to clients.
Eos Risk Management does not use local navies, instead putting its own men onboard vessels. However, the guards will only load their weapons once the ships are out at sea.
This aims to allow the company to overcome a ban in many West African countries — including Nigeria, Benin and Togo — on vessels deploying armed private security companies in their sovereign waters.
A private maritime security company has launched a service in West Africa, claiming to be the first to offer its own armed teams to clients.
Eos Risk Management does not use local navies, instead putting its own men onboard vessels. However, the guards will only load their weapons once the ships are out at sea.
This aims to allow the company to overcome a ban in many West African countries — including Nigeria, Benin and Togo — on vessels deploying armed private security companies in their sovereign waters.
Other private maritime security companies operate in the region using personnel from the Nigeria, Togo and Benin navies, said Eos Risk MD David Johnson.
“They use a security liaison officer to oversee what goes on but he has no operational command of the armed guards as they are part of a military chain of command,” he said. “All they can do [is] drill… the crew, assess the vulnerability of the vessel and employ hardening measures.”
Eos has secured a base in the Gulf of Guinea for its guards, but although Johnson said the base was entirely legal, he would not disclose its whereabouts.
“What I can say is, it is legal and approved but it is competitive information and could undermine our operational security,” he said.
“We have the licences, base, weapons, men, management and rules for the use of force to operate in the region.”
He said Eos had invested $3 million since January last year in the project.
“We are the first ones to have invested money in getting our guards on board vessels,” he said.
“Using the local navies is cheaper and easier. Everyone wants to go to West Africa to do business. If Somalia loses its legs they want to know they have work in another part of the world and there is definitely a market in West Africa.”
Rival security company Mast has an established business in West Africa that uses local guards. Chief executive Phil Cable said trading in the region presented a considerable security challenge.
“The legislative landscape governing the private security industry is unclear globally and, in particular in Nigeria, there are various government bodies with responsibility for the security of the maritime domain,” he said
“This confusion, coupled with the unscrupulous ship agents who proffer support from supposed legitimately hired government military forces, present a dilemma — go with local security engaged via the agent or go without security.”
However, Cable said that despite the challenges the answers were there for the diligent security business.
“The concept of the public-private partnership in the provision of security for private assets is widely accepted in Africa and indeed becoming more so in western Europe,” he said.
“It is legitimate to hire Nigerian military forces providing the hirer is legitimately registered as a security provider.
“Indeed, the large oil and gas companies operating in the region do so and this clearly demonstrates its legitimacy.
“Working in conjunction with military forces is not, in itself, controversial; indeed the Dutch government, which prohibits privately armed security personnel on ships registered in the Netherlands, does allow Dutch marines to embark, subject to a fee.”
Cable said Mast had faced up to and met the legal and logistical challenges of operating in West Africa.
“The company has amended Guardcon to reflect the different operating environment and this contract has been approved by the International Group of [P&I] Clubs,” he said.
“Mast’s liability insurers have also accepted that any indigenous military forces working with Mast are covered under the company’s liability policy.”
Unlike Johnson,Cable said he believed the future of effective security in the Gulf of Guinea region was co-operation between private security experts and the indigenous forces of the particular country where the problem lay.
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