Merchant Ships Fair Game in Nigerian Waters

US Government Consul-General, Jeffrey Hawkins, observes ineffectual Nigeria Government response to a growing incidence of piracy.

The US envoy made his comment at the recently concluded Nigeria Maritime Expo (NIMAREX 2013) in Lagos. Acknowledging that Nigeria has enormous maritime potentials, the US envoy commented that realising those potentials would be a mirage if the security challenges are not tackled, reports the Nigerian Tribune.

Hawkins posited further that there are many accusations that entities involved in providing maritime security collude in some of the illegal activities.

According to the US envoy, both the available data and the anecdotal evidence suggest that the situation is only worsening, and may not get better in the near-term without major improvements in institutional collaboration and a marked increase in political will.

Source: Nigerian Tribune