Sampson Chima (Registrar NIS)
It is a pity that we experience attacks on our waters from time to time and it is a sad story for Nigeria to continue appearing in the news in terms of piracy. I don’t know who is securing our water ways, NIMASA says they are doing the job in partnership with the Navy, but for this to continue happening, I don’t know who is policing the waters. The way out is the present agitation for a maritime security agency, with all these attacks and occurrences I think there is need for such an agency to come up so that it will assist us to take care of the waterways and channels. Let us have an agency that will take care of the coastal waters, it is not the job of the Navy, we know that the reason why Navy was set up was for the control of any external aggression, they have their own job to do and they cannot take the whole activity upon themselves, it is not easy. Let us create this agency to look into the activities of sea robbers; it is giving us a bad name as a maritime nation where vessels will be scared of coming in. Nigeria has been listed as one of the piracy-prone countries by the international maritime bureau and this is not good, I believe if the new agency comes into play most of these things will be taken care of.
Adamu Oche (Coordinator, Citizen and Leadership Sea School)
It has been observed that most of the seafarers on board these vessels are not Nigerians and there is need for Nigerians to participate in seafaring activities, it’s like infiltrating into somebody’s territory without giving him recognition. The issue of the new maritime security agency is another thing, it seems like the lawmakers are trying to toy with it, they don’t want to say yes or to reject the bill, but I assure you that if it is passed, it will arrest the situation and there will not be any of such attacks again, so the earlier they pass the bill the better. The Niger delta boys should be recruited and trained to fit into this plan because they know the area and the terrain, they know where there is danger and where the loopholes are, it is because this is not done that we still continue to have this problem of attacks.
Peter Ojelatan (Water Transporter)
We have the Marine police as well as the naval task force, I believe if all these security agencies are well equipped with necessary gadgets in addition to constant patrol on the waters the attacks will be reduced. Secondly, the use of surveillance equipment on the waterways is advisable; this will ensure proper screening of users of the waterways and also control vessel activities. I think the navy and the marine police are trying, but they still need to put in more efforts because a lot is at stake, the image of this country is being painted bad out there because of these pirate activities.
Barrister Chinedu Ogbonna (PRO Customs, PTML command)
The attacks on our waterways have become a trade which post great danger on investments in this country and our economy as a whole. If it continues unchecked, goods coming into Nigeria will be surcharged for security and this will put great danger on our economy which is import dependent. I think the issue borders on national security and we have the navy, the customs, the marine police and all other relevant maritime agencies, if they can carry out effective patrol of the waters, I assure you that before the pirates take- off they will have heard and respond swiftly.
Also, modern equipment and watercrafts should be made available to these agencies to be able to patrol freely, the speed boats used by some of these pirates have big and powerful engines and for you to checkmate their activities you must be equally armed with the latest of equipment.
Captain Adewale Ishola (Master mariner)
My summation is that when there are adequate personnel and resources to work with on the water ways it will deter pirates and perpetrators of evil works on our waters, even the so call militants will be afraid of operating if there is constant patrol.
I will advice that the government should beef up the security level on the water ways by equipping the navy, the marine police and other paramilitary agencies involved in patrolling the waters, they should also not leave out the Customs and the Immigration because they are also related agencies that need to be equipped. The Customs look into anti-smuggling activities but at the same time they can deter people from raising attacks on a vessel, they also patrol the waters and have to be security conscious, same with the Immigrations that are involved in stopping aliens from coming in through the waters, so they in addition to the navy must be properly empowered and given enough boats to move around. I think the only way we can overcome the problem is when all hands are put on deck to block these lacunas in our system.
Captain Azeez Ajibode (Master mariner)
The recent increase in attack of vessels in the high seas is now taking a dangerous trend. I was once a victim because a vessel that was bringing my consignments to Nigeria was hijacked and some of the crew members were killed.
Let me tell you the genesis of the whole thing which has to do with conflicts in some parts of Africa. Remember Liberia, Rwanda and some other parts of Africa. Now, when a conflict ends weapons will find their ways into the hands of criminals.
Also those that have been demobilized will have no alternative than to take to crime. I think the international communities should assist Africa by ensuring that permanent solution should be initiated to put a final stop into the menace of the pirates.
The Somalia pirates have now turned hijacking of ships into lucrative business. It is ridiculous; something must be done about it urgently.
Vincent Madu (Business man)
My opinion about it is that the activities of the pirates on the high seas are becoming more and more terrifying. Only recently, here in Nigeria, about five Filipinos were attacked a few nautical miles to Nigeria. However it is more rampant in the Somalia waters. Nigeria government too should be on the alert because a lot of arms and ammunitions are flying everywhere here. We should not just relax and say it can’t happen here. We should learn from the recent unrests in the Niger Delta region where several lives were lost due to agitations by the militants.
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