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Nigerian Navy News

30 May 2023

Heroic Idun Released from Nigeria

Source: Nigerian Navy

The Nigerian Navy announced the release of the VLCC Heroic Idun on Saturday, and the crew and vessel are now reportedly sailing for South Africa.The navy said the “grave infractions” of the vessel were prosecuted by the Federal Government of Nigeria at the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt on January,10 2023. The 26 foreign crew pleaded guilty and elected voluntarily to enter into a plea bargain that involved paying fines and making an apology to the Federal Republic of Nigeria…

12 Nov 2022

Detained Oil Tanker in Equatorial Guinea to Return to Nigeria

An oil supertanker accused by Nigerian authorities of attempting to illegally load crude before leaving its territorial waters is on its way back to the country, a Nigerian Navy spokesman told Reuters on Friday.At the request of Nigerian authorities, Equatorial Guinea detained the Heroic Idun, a vessel capable of carrying 2 million barrels of oil, on Aug. 17 for sailing without an identifying flag, fleeing from the Nigerian navy and sailing in Equatorial Guinean waters without prior authorization.Nigerian officials said Messrs.

19 Aug 2022

Oil Tanker Detained After Nigerian Navy Says It 'Resisted Arrest'

© momentscatcher / Adobe Stock

Equatorial Guinea has detained an oil tanker capable of carrying 2 million barrels after it attempted to load in Nigeria without proper paperwork, both countries said this week.The Nigerian navy said in a statement that the Heroic Idun, a very large crude carrier (VLCC), was attempting to load oil at the Akpo SBM on Aug. 8 without due clearance from state oil company NNPC, and that it "resisted arrest" when ordered to stop.It was not immediately clear who was the vessel's owner or operator.

17 Aug 2021

Drones, Navies, Attack Boats: Will They be Enough to Tackle the World's Latest Piracy Hotspot?

© remipiotrowski / Adobe Stock

Helicopters hover above a patrol vessel in Nigeria's frenetic Apapa port as attack boats zoom past. On the dock, drones emblazoned with the Nigerian flag sit ready to deploy – all part of a $195 million U.S.-backed "Deep Blue" initiative to deter pirate attacks in the world's most dangerous area for seafarers.The more than 2.35 million square kilometer (910,000 million square mile) expanse of the Atlantic Ocean that borders some 20 West African nations is known as "pirate alley"…

08 Feb 2021

Nigeria's Navy to Toughen Punishment for Collusion with Kidnappers

A Nigerian boarding team during a simulated hijacking scenario (File photo: Luis R. Chavez Jr. / U.S. Navy)

Nigeria’s navy plans to strengthen its measures to root out and punish personnel who collude with kidnappers and criminals, its new naval chief said.Kidnappings in the Gulf of Guinea, which covers 2.3 million square kilometers and borders some 20 countries, hit a record last year, according to the International Maritime Bureau.Well-armed, violent pirates operate there out of Nigeria’s hard-to-police Delta swamps, and experts say their increasingly bold tactics show that better enforcement is badly needed.Rear Admiral A.Z.

25 Jan 2021

Nigeria: Pirates Kill One, Kidnap 15 Sailors from Turkish Cargo Ship


Image Credit: STOCKSTUDIO/AdobeStock

Pirates off Nigeria's coast kidnapped 15 sailors from a Turkish container ship in the Gulf of Guinea on Saturday in a brazen and violent attack that was farther from shore than usual.One sailor was killed in the raid, an Azerbaijani citizen, while those kidnapped are from Turkey, according to the respective governments and a crew list seen by Reuters.Accounts from crew, family members and security sources described a sophisticated and well-orchestrated attack on Saturday in which armed pirates boarded the ship and breached its protective citadel…

13 Jan 2021

Maritime Security: Neo-colonialism in the Gulf of Guinea

© Lucia / Adobe Stock

Is neo-colonialism in the Gulf of Guinea the answer to West Africa’s maritime crime crisis?In October 2020, China’s transport ministry established an ad hoc workgroup to lay down precautionary measures for ships and seafarers passing through high piracy risk West African waters.The move came as China told its vessels to up vigilance and implement a series of precautionary measures to ensure the security of ocea-going vessels and seafarers amid rising attacks and a surge in kidnaps in the Gulf of Guinea.Plans outlined by Wu Chungeng…

12 Aug 2020

Nigeria Convicts First Pirates Under New Maritime Law

© promesaartstudio / Adobe Stock

A Nigerian court made the first convictions under a new anti-piracy law, giving hope to the world's shipping fleets that legal reforms will help stem rising attacks in the Gulf of Guinea.The three men fined by the court in Port Harcourt, Nigeria's oil hub, on Tuesday were among nine accused of hijacking the tanker MV Elobey VI off Equatorial Guinea in March and securing a $200,000 ransom for the crew.The merchant shipping industry has long pressed Nigeria to take action in the area…

15 Jul 2020

Crew Kidnappings Soar in West Africa

Crew kidnappings and violent attacks on vessels in the oil-rich West Africa region have soared in 2020, with 77 seafarers taken hostage or kidnapped for ransom since January, according to the ICC International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) latest piracy report.The Gulf of Guinea off West Africa is increasingly dangerous for commercial shipping, accounting for just over 90% of maritime kidnappings worldwide. Meanwhile, ship hijackings are at their lowest since 1993, the report said.“Violence against crews is a growing risk in a workforce already under immense pressure,” says IMB Director Michael Howlett. “In the Gulf of Guinea attackers armed with knives and guns now target crews on every type of vessel.

02 Jul 2020

Armed Group Attacks FPSO, Kidnaps Crew in Nigeria

The article has been updated to include a statement by BW Offshore who confirmed the attack on its FPSO and the kidnapping of several crew members.Pirates on Thursday attacked BW Offshore's Sendje Berge FPSO and kidnapped several crewmembers.Security intel group Dryad Global first reported of the attack on the 349 meters-long FPSO on Thursday, citing a "high confidence" source."Reporting indicates that the FPSO SENDJE BERGE has been attacked by unknown armed men. Further reports indicate that up to 11 personnel may have been kidnapped from the vessel," Dryad said.BW Offshore then released a statement confirming the attack had indeed happened and that nine crew members were kidnapped…

11 Jun 2020

IMO Head Commends Nigeria's Antipiracy Efforts

© remipiotrowski / Adobe Stock

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim commended Nigeria’s antipiracy efforts in the Gulf of Guinea as the West African nation continues to make strides to curb attacks against ships in the world’s top piracy hot spot.Lim said recent actions made by the West African country to restrain piracy in the region “send a strong and valuable message to the international community”.The IMO head welcomed the latest initiatives to address maritime security concerns in the Gulf of Guinea…

19 Apr 2020

Nigeria Pledges Improved Information Sharing

Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh flanked by Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Oladele Bamidele Daji (Right) and Navy Hydrographer, Rear Admiral Chukwuemeka Okafor (left) during a working visit by the Western Naval Command to NIMASA.

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigeria Navy are set for a regime of improved information sharing as arrangements to integrate the Command, Control, Computer Communication and Information (C4i) Cente of the Deep Blue Project along with the Falcon Eye of the Nigerian Navy.The Director General of NIMASA Dr. Bashir Jamoh said, “Just like we did by ensuring that our Special Mission Vessels are manned by men of the Nigerian Navy, we are also looking at the possibility of effectively linking the C4i center at kikiriki with the Falcon Eye of the Nigerian Navy.

17 Feb 2020

Keel Laid for Nigerian Navy Landing Craft

Dutch shipbuilding giant Damen Group said that its Damen Shipyards Sharjah (DSS) in the United Arab Emirates held a keel-laying ceremony for a new landing craft (LST 100) ordered by the Nigerian Navy.A press release from Damen said on February 17, 2020 said that the ceremony took place in the Sahrjah Hamriyah Free Zone on December 9, 2019.The start of the vessel’s construction was attended by Nigeria’s Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas.Damen has designed the Landing Ship Transport 100 (LST 100) for a range of duties including amphibious operations, strategic transport of equipment and troops, disaster relief, evacuation…

05 Dec 2019

Pirates Kidnap 19 Crew from Tanker off Nigeria

© Christin Boggs Peyper / Adobe Stock

Pirates have kidnapped 19 crew members from a crude oil tanker off Nigeria in an area where acts of piracy are on the rise, an official with the ship's operator said on Thursday.The loaded vessel, the Nave Constellation, was attacked 77 nautical miles off Bonny Island on Tuesday and 18 Indians and one Turk from the crew were seized, the official said.Seven other crew members remain on board the vessel. Neither the vessel nor the cargo were damaged, the official said.The shipping…

09 Jul 2019

Piracy: West Africa, World's Most Dangerous Seas

The seas off West Africa's coastline are now the most dangerous in the world for shipping, the International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) latest report revealed.According to the report, of the 75 seafarers taken hostage onboard or kidnapped for ransom worldwide so far this year, 62 were captured in the Gulf of Guinea – off the coasts of Nigeria, Guinea, Togo, Benin and Cameroon.The IMB Piracy Reporting Center (IMB PRC) recorded 78 incidents of piracy worldwide and armed robbery against ships in the first half of 2019, compared with 107 incidents for the same period of 2018. Overall, 57 vessels were boarded successfully, representing 73% of all attacks.Pirates killed one person…

10 Jun 2019

Piracy Threat Persists in Gulf of Guinea

Concerns raised by various industry bodies were supported by figures from the International Maritime Bureau showing that the number of attacks in the Gulf of Guinea region had doubled in 2018.There has also been a marked increase towards kidnapping for ransom and armed robbery incidents.Members of the shipping community, Flag States and Agencies from Gulf of Guinea gathered at the Headquarters of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for a day-long symposium on Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea. The event, co-sponsored by BIMCO, IMCA, ICS, ITF and OCIMF, featured speakers from regional maritime agencies as well as shipping officials, academics and military staff.

09 Apr 2019

Piracy Retreating in Q1 2019

The International Chamber of Commerce International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) published its report for the first three months of 2019, reporting less incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships than the first quarter of 2018.During the first quarter of 2019, IMB reported 38 incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea, which are 28 less incidents than the first quarter of 2018, which stood at 66.IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre detailed that 27 vessels were boarded, seven vessels were fired upon and four attempted attacks occurred in the first quarter of 2019. No vessels were reported as hijacked for the first time since the first quarter of 1994.“These latest statistics from the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre are encouraging.

11 Jan 2018

Damen Delivers Patrol Vessel to Nigeria

Guardian 4 (Photo: Damen)

Homeland Integrated Offshore Services Ltd (Homeland) of Lagos, Nigeria, has taken delivery of another Damen 3307 Patrol Vessel for operations in the offshore oil fields in the Gulf of Guinea. This takes the total delivered vessels/Guardians since the first arrived in early 2014 to four. Guardian 4 has joined its three sister ships in providing security services to the oil majors active in Nigeria’s territorial waters, together with additional support services including crew transfers and equipment deliveries.

29 Dec 2017

NIMASA Set to Acquire More Fast Intervention Vessels

In line with the recent approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA is set to acquire strategic maritime safety and security assets, which are also in line with the total spectrum of maritime security strategy. The Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside who made this known in Lagos recently, also announced the establishment of a command and control center as part of the strategic initiative. “The four components of the initiative are situational awareness, response capability, law enforcement and local partnerships, and regional cooperation which are the fulcrum upon which tackling maritime crime will be built on”. Dr.

17 Oct 2017

Global Piracy Declines in First Nine Months of 2017

A total of 121 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported in the first nine months of 2017, according to the International Chamber of Commerce's (ICC) International Maritime Bureau's (IMB) latest quarterly report on maritime piracy. The flagship global report notes that, while piracy rates were down compared to the same period in 2016, there is continuing concern over attacks in the Gulf of Guinea and in South East Asia. The increase in attacks off the coast of Venezuela and other security incidents against vessels off Libya - including an attempted boarding in the last quarter - highlights the need for vigilance in other areas.

17 May 2017

Nigeria Invests in Boats to Fight Piracy

In 2014 the joint high-speed vessel USNS Spearhead (JHSV-1) maneuvers alongside the pier in Lagos, Nigeria. Spearhead took part in Obangame Express, a multinational at-sea exercise designed to improve cooperation among participating nations in order to increase counter-piracy capabilities. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Weston Jones/Released)

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside has assured Nigerians and the international maritime community that the Federal Government is actively working to keep the menace of piracy and other illicit crimes in check on the nation’s territorial waterways. In this case the word are backed by action and investment, as the Nigerian government has approved the procurement of three helicopters and 12 fast intervention…

17 Jul 2017

GOC, Nigerian Army 81 Division Visit to DG, NIMASA

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside receiving a plaque from the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Peter John Dauke when the GOC paid a courtesy visit to the NIMASA DG at the Agency’s headquarters in Lagos. (Photo: NIMASA)

The Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dakuku Peterside has stressed the strategic importance of security agencies to the achievement of safe and secure shipping and a viable and vibrant maritime sector for the country’s benefits. The Director General who stated this while playing host to the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Peter John Dauke at the Agency’s Headquarters in Lagos said that as the Agency strives to achieve a secure maritime environment…

29 Aug 2017

Patrol Vessel Delivered to Nigeria's Homeland

Damen 3307 Patrol Vessel (Photo: Damen)

A Damen 3307 Patrol Vessel has been delivered to Homeland Integrated Offshore Services Ltd of Lagos, Nigeria, taking its fleet of these craft up to three, with a fourth currently under construction. Guardian 3 along with its sister ships Guardian 1 and Guardian 2 is now providing security and other support services to the international offshore oil companies active off the coast of Nigeria in the Gulf of Guinea, in cooperation with the Nigerian Navy. The Guardian series of 3307 Patrol vessels are themselves unarmed…