As Pirates Put Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences, SPOMO, Act to test

Dr. Bashir Jamoh, Director General, NIMASA

Armed with the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences, SPOMO, Act signed into law in June last year by President Muhammadu Buhari and in line with resolve of the new management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, to focus on Maritime Security, Safety and Shipping Development, towards ensuring a robust and safer maritime domain for the country, NIMASA in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy has arrested ten pirates.

Head Corporate Commination of NIMASA, Mr. Philip Kynet in a statement informs that the 10 pirates had on May 15 attacked and boarded a Chinese vessel, MV HAILUFANG II, off the coast of Côte d’Ivoire and directed the vessel towards Nigerian waters. They were arrested by the Nigerian Navy, which dispatched a ship to intercept the vessel immediately it got an alert.

The prosecution of the pirates would be the first trial of bandits arrested in international waters under SPOMO Act.

Reacting to the development, Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh said the successful operation that led to the arrest of the pirates and rescue of the ship and its crew to collaboration between NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy.

The Arrested Pirates

He said the Agency will continue to work with relevant security agencies in order to achieve its goal of eradicating piracy and all forms of illegality on the Nigerian waters.

 An elated Jamoh said “We have just witnessed the handover of the arrested pirates. This is as a result of the robust collaboration between NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy. There has been a lot of synergy between NIMASA and the Navy with regards SPOMO Act”.

“I also want to seize the opportunity to thank Mr. President for signing the anti-piracy law, which would facilitate sufficient prosecution of these pirates.”

Represented at the handover by the Agency’s Head of Legal Services, Mr. Victor Egejuru,  Jamoh assured that with the anti-piracy law, there was ample legal framework to prosecute pirates and other perpetrators of maritime offences in the country to bring the menace to the barest minimum.

Speaking on the arrest Commander of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft, Commodore Ibrahim Shettima, said the vessel had 18 crew members comprising Chinese, Ghanaians, and Ivorians.

 In his words, “On interception of the vessel about 140nm south of Lagos Fairway Buoy, the pirates had refused to comply with the orders of the Navy ship, hence the Nigerian Navy had to conduct an opposed boarding of the vessel. All ship crew were safely rescued, while the 10 pirates were also arrested.”

Commodore Shettima stressed the need for increased regional cooperation and information sharing-disclosing that the arrest of the pirates was due to a tip-off by the Beninoise Navy.

Shettima warned criminal elements to stay away from Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea, insisting that the Nigerian Navy has the capability to deal with pirates and other criminals.

This development is a test case of how effective and strong the SPOMO Act is as stakeholders watch to see how quickly the arrested pirates would be prosecuted.