Tag: Nigeria

Since the NIMASA/Industry Working Group was established in May 2020 to deter piracy off Nigeria, considerable progress has been made to deepen collaboration between agencies and navies, build operational response capabilities, develop more robust reporting frameworks and share best practice between Government and industry, the latest update by the Group informs. 

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) issued a notice for vessels engaging in coastal trading in Nigeria to ensure compliance with the relevant laws. These include ensuring that licenses are renewed, and applications for waivers when applicable, are made, timely.

Following an increase in kidnap for ransom attacks in the Gulf of Guinea beyond Nigeria’s economic zone, the Joint War Committee has redrawn the listed extended risk area in the West Africa region, marking an increase in vessel insurance premiums.

An unknown number of pirates boarded the reefer Water Phoenix, while 31 nm south west of Lagos, Nigeria, resulting in the kidnap of two crew. This is the third incident in the waters south of Lagos within 2020.  

A court in Nigeria completed its first ever convictions using the nation's new anti-piracy law, and the defendents have been sentenced to a five-figure fine.

According to Reuters, seven Russian seafarers were kidnapped following a piracy attack onboard a Liberian-flagged product tanker at Gulf of Guinea.

In its weekly report for 30 June-6 July, ReCAAP ISC informed of two incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia. Both were CAT 4 incidents that occurred onboard ships while underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) in the Singapore Strait.

A total of 14 crew members were abducted from two vessels in two separate piracy attacks in the Gulf of Guinea on 2 July, according to reports by ReCAAP Focal Point (Singapore). The first occurred on a FPSO anchored at Okwori field offshore, Nigeria and the second on a general cargo ship while drifting in the Gulf of Guinea.

Dryad reports that the fishing vessel Panofi Frontiner has been attacked by several gunmen on board one speed boat 61nm South of Cotonou Port.

In a recent statement, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim welcomed the latest initiatives to address piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea, which has been a main piracy hotspot in the last years.