PIRACY: Nigerian Navy Has Failed Woefully- Merchant Navy

By ZION Olalekan

Following the rising spate of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and reports of ship boarding at Nigerian anchorage areas, a United States trained Navy Seal Capt James Falabi, has rated the Nigerian Navy low in terms of performance and curbing the tide of piracy.

Falabi, a member of the Merchant Navy Directorate in Nigeria told nigeriamaritime36o.com at the weekend that the Nigerian Navy has relegated itself to becoming escorts of ships, hence abandoning the monitoring and protecting the blue and yellow waters.

He also alleged that the Maritime Guard Command, a product of MoU between the Navy and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is dormant.

According to him, there is no proactive approach from the Navy or the Federal Government to solving security issues.

The Gulf of Guinea region saw a significant new spike in violence in the last quarter of 2018.

Vessels have been boarded by pirates well outside territorial waters, with crew kidnapped and taken into Nigeria where they are held for ransom.

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) also stated last weeks stated that 201 piracy incidences took place in the region for 2018, a figure that rose from 78 in 2017.

Capt Falabi, a maritime security expert however said that the only way out to reducing the spike in piracy is the passage of the Maritime Security Agency Bill (MASECA) Bill into law. The MASECA Bill according to him would ensure a reduction in piracy.

Speaking, he said “The root causes of the increase in pirate activities in Nigeria is because there is no commitment and professionalism

“Hardship and unemployment of the lower class across the riverine areas. The maritime domain awareness is zero. In Nigeria we do lot of security patrol while in America, maritime domain is monitored from the coast guard’s office and their patrol is specifically to apprehend a security treat”

“The NIMASA”s maritime guard is dormant, while the Nigerian Navy has failed woefully to perform their statutory roll by becoming escorts of ships. It’s a shame that Nigerian Navy cannot monitor and protect the blue water not to talk of the source of pirate, which is the yellow water (the creeks and the inland water ways)”.

“There are no intelligent networks that can enable the existing agency to apprehend pirates before filling out and after the attack.

“The only answer to the above quest is the passing of the Maritime Security Agency bill into law which will make the cure marine professionals to secure their domain. This will regenerate our maritime agency economy” he said.