Maritime

There Is No Piracy In Nigeria, But Armed Robbery -Bello

Published

7 years ago

May 17, 2019

The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council, Barrister Hassan Bello, says there is no piracy in Nigeria, but what we have are incidences of armed robbery.
Bello said the armed robbery incidences and not piracy has been confirmed by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB)
The Secretary in a statement made available to The Tide queried the rational behind foreign shipping lines slamming ‘war risk surcharges’ on Nigerian bound cargoes,
He said the slamming war risk are deliberate extortion of Nigerian importers and creating a wrong impression about Nigeria’s maritime sector.
Bello assured that the Council is taking up a fight against international carriers to correct the negative impressions and to ensure that Nigeria-bound cargoes are not over charged.
“There is no piracy in Nigeria, what we have are incidences of armed robbery, do you know the difference? So there is no piracy in Nigeria, the releases from the International Maritime Bureau have said that we have less incidences of piracy, but go and check the surcharges, it could be the same” he said.
“The surcharges are supposed to be temporary, to address temporary issues like the fuel adjustment factor which comes in if there is increase in fuel price, however, if the fuel price drops, the surcharge still remains”
.”We are going to the bottom of it; this is a fight we have to fight so that Nigeria-bound cargoes are not over charged” Bello said.
“If we have got our infrastructure, the deep-sea ports, the price right, then, all the cargoes will come to Nigeria from where we would distribute to other small countries around us”
“Nigeria is the centre of the world, 200 million people, 975,000 square kilometers ,
”We have so many rivers, creeks, brooks, water transportation is everywhere, we have roads being fixed everywhere, Jebba-Ilorin road is being done, and then the rail”
“The moment we have the Ibadan-Kano rail line, Port Harcourt – Maiduguri line, then it means Nigeria has taken-off” he said
Bello explained the rational behind the delay in the take off of the Truck Transit Parks (TTP) a pet project of the Council in ensuring that transportation of cargoes are carried out seamlessly across Nigeria.
He stated that the council is working with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) on the TTP project, saying that the project is now going to advertisement and procurement.
He said in Enugu State, we had some environmental issues, there were pipelines at the site, so we have heard a meeting with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) the NNPC, and Ministry of Works over the right of way, the meeting was held in Ibadan two weeks ago and all the issues were trashed. So, we are going to the market to advertise the park in Enugu.”
“Then, in Lokoja, we discovered that the government has not paid compensation to the local people even though we cleared the place, “we are working with the state government on this, it is either we go ahead and tell the concessionaire that there is a contingent liability or we have the state government to pay it” he said

Chinedu Wosu

Business

Navy Hands Over Five Suspected Stowaways to NIS

Published

7 days ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft has handed over five suspected stowaways to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS)

The suspects were discovered aboard a merchant vessel, MT Chinafrie Happiness, in an attempted illegal voyage out of the country.

This was contained in a statement issued by Sub Lieutenant A.O. Ajayi, Naval Assistant to the Commander, NNS Beecroft.

The statement said the Handover is part of ongoing inter-agency collaboration aimed at strengthening maritime security, curbing illegal migration, and enhancing safety within Nigeria’s maritime environment.

According to the statement, the suspects were discovered on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, concealed inside the rudder compartment of the vessel while it was berthed at Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.

The five suspects were safely evacuated by Naval Personnel’s and taken to NNS Beecroft for preliminary investigation, profiling, and documentation before being transferred to immigration authorities for further action.

The statement gave their identity as Segun Samuel Boyewa (31), Kingsley Chukwu (43), Joseph Judge (33), Moses Aletor (24), and Abdullahi Danlami (31).

Preliminary findings indicated that the individuals allegedly boarded the vessel while it was docked at Tin Can Island Port with the intention of stowing away to India without valid travel documentation or authorisation.

The statement also noted that stowaway attempts pose significant risks to human life and maritime safety, as individuals often hide in hazardous compartments of vessels under extreme conditions that could lead to injury or death.

The Naval statement warned that illegal boarding of ships remains a serious maritime security challenge and called on parents, guardians, and community leaders to discourage youths from engaging in such dangerous and unlawful acts.

The statement reaffirmed the commitment of NNS Beecroft to sustained maritime security operations in line with the mission of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, aimed at maintaining a professional and effective naval force capable of safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime interests and supporting joint operations for national security.

Chinedu Wosu

Business

Navy Nabs 13 Black Sand Miners In Bayelsa –Impound Two Boats

Published

7 days ago

June 29, 2026

The Tide

The Nigerian Navy has arrested Thirteen 13 Black Sand miners in Bayelsa state

The Service also impounded two Wooden Boats used for the illegal operations

Director of Naval Information, Capt. Abiodun Folorunsho, said this in a statement issued to Newsmen in Abuja.

Folorunsho said with the operation, the Navy had recorded another operational success in its efforts to curb illegal exploitation of natural resources

According to Folorunsho the operation was conducted by Forward Operating Base (FOB) FORMOSO, following credible intelligence on the movement of boats suspected to be involved in illegal mining activities.

He said the intelligence revealed the boats were operating within the coastal communities of Brass Local Government Area.

“Acting on the intelligence, Naval personnel intercepted the boats at Lekeson and Liama communities, where large quantities of suspected illegally mined black sand were discovered onboard.

“A total of 13 crew members were arrested in connection with the activity,” he said.

The Naval Director of information said that the successful operation underscored the Navy’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s maritime environment and preventing the illegal exploitation of natural resources that undermine economic development and environmental sustainability.

“The Nigerian Navy remains resolute in sustaining operations against illegal resource extraction and other maritime crimes, while maintaining security and stability within the nation’s waterways,” he said.

Folorunsho also said that the two wooden boats recovered, the black sand and the 13 suspects have subsequently been handed over to the Divisional Police Officer, Nembe Division, for further investigation and possible prosecution.

He said this was done in line with the extant procedures and directives of the Bayelsa Government.

The Naval spokesperson reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to collaborating with relevant stakeholders and security agencies to safeguard Nigeria’s maritime resources.

Folorunsho assured that it would also ensure that the nation’s waterways remain safe and secure for legitimate economic activities.

CHINEDU WOSU

Maritime

NCS Holds Free Medical Outreach For 2,000 Daura Residents

Published

2 months ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has held its 7th Retreat Medical Outreach in Daura, Katsina State,

Customs said the Free medical outreach is aimed at providing free healthcare services to residents of the area.

Speaking during the event, Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, Ahmad Tijjani-Abe, said the programme would provide general medical consultations, dental care, eye and ear care, as well as minor surgical operations for beneficiaries.

Tijjani-Abe said medical teams deployed for the exercise would also provide free medications to patients attending the outreach.

He added that the service would visit schools within the area to deworm students and distribute health kits and mosquito nets to help prevent malaria among children.

Also Speaking, Dr Ethelbert Ikechukwu, Medical Team Leader of the outreach said the exercise was part of the initiative of the Comptroller-General of Customs, which had been carried out in different parts of the country over the years.

According to him, the programme is designed to support communities where customs personnel operate by offering free medical consultations and medications to residents.

Ikechukwu further explained that patients whose conditions could not be fully managed at the outreach centre would be referred to appropriate medical facilities for further treatment.

Ikechukwu urged members of the public to take advantage of the exercise, noting that the medical teams comprised highly qualified healthcare professionals.

The outreach targets about 2,000 patients across various areas of medical care.