TheCable

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) says the country reported four incidents of piracy in the first nine months of 2021.

The figure represented a 77 percent drop compared to the same period last year, according to NIMASA.

Bashir Jamoh, director-general of NIMASA, said the reduction was reflected in the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) third-quarter 2021 report.

Jamoh explained that the latest figures came following the launch of the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, also called the Deep Blue Project, on June 10 by President Muhammadu Buhari, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The agency said this in a statement issued on Wednesday by Edward Osagie, assistant director, public relations.

“Nigeria reported four incidents in the first nine months of 2021, in comparison to 17 in 2020 and 41 in 2018,” the statement quoted Jamoh as saying.

“This represents a 77 percent decrease in incidents between 2021 and 2020, and 95 percent reduction from 2018.

“The IMB also reported a 39 percent reduction in piracy and armed robbery incidents in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).

The DG also said that the agency had put in place measures to sustain the current momentum of security in the country’s waters.

“We are delighted by this latest news from the IMB and the trend of progressive reduction in piracy and related incidents on our waters,” the NIMASA boss said.

“But we cannot afford to be complacent about our commitment to the security of our maritime domain.

“We will continue to strive for more effective measures to keep Nigerian waters safe and secure,” he said.

Jamoh quoted the IMB as saying that the Gulf of Guinea region recorded 28 incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the first nine months of 2021, in comparison to 46 for the same period in 2020.

“The piracy reporting agency explained that crew kidnappings in the region had dropped with only one crew member kidnapped in Q3, compared to 31 crew members taken in five separate incidents during Q3 2020,” Jamoh said.

“All Q3 incidents were also against vessels at port anchorages, whilst the average successful kidnapping location in Q3 2020 was approximately 100NM from land.”

He added that the overall reduction of piracy and armed robbery incidents in the region was testaments of enhanced maritime security and response coordination measures adopted by regional and national authorities.