- SPOMO first stand alone legal instrument in W/Africa -DG, NIALS
- We’re raising safety standards in line with IMO regulations -Jamoh
Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad yesterday in Lagos said that the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), deserves commendation for the great strides it is making to secure the Nigerian territorial waters and the Gulf of Guinea.
Justice Tanko Muhammad who was represented by a Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Kudirate Kekere-Ekun at the 2nd edition of the Nigerian Admiralty Law Colloquium yesterday, made the declaration before declaring the two-day open the brainstorming session of the Bench from the Federal High Courts, the Court of Appeals and the Judges of the High Courts of the littoral states where NIMASA is operating.
The nation’s Judicial head, noted that topical issues have have selected for discussion in the event for the advancement of the Nigerian maritime industry, advising that legal counsels must continue to advise their clients to embrace arbitration for quick resolution of cases rather than resorting to litigations.
Earlier, the Director General of Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Professor Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan had said that two years after the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act 2019 came into force, the Federal High Court Ikoyi sentenced 10 pirates to 12 years imprisonment each with N250,000 fine on each count for the hijack of a merchant vessel in May 2020.
According to him, the Act is the single st and alone legal instrument against piracy in the West African sub-region, adding that the Act and the recent sentences it has recorded is a bold statement to intending criminals that the Nigerian waters is no loner available for them to practise their criminality.
He noted that compared to 2020, 2021 was a much better year for both Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea as well as the global maritime community in dealing with piracy and other maritime crimes.
Prof Ladan said that through the strategic Colloquium, “we wish to enhance the capacity of, and remind our Justice sector actors that we will all prosper when the seas around us are safe, secure and free for all to use and exploit the natural resources, promote trade and investment, tourism, marine science and technology, maritime transport, infrastructure development, sustainmfisherues and protection of the marine environment.”
Also speaking, the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh stated that the Colloquiz has been institutionalised by NIMASA in line with its mandate to promote, secure and develop the Nigerian maritime industry.
He said that the theme of this year’s edition of the Colloquium: “Maritime Safety Security & Shipping Development: Reflections and the Way Forward; was borne out of the need to refelect on the sector over the past five years to 10 years, analyse the challenges, praise achievements made and draw amroad map on the way forward.
Jamoh further said that the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, popularly called Deep Blue Project is an intervention of NIMASA to tame piracy and secure human lives in the Nigerian territorial waters and Gulf of Guinea.
He added that: “We have also leaned heavily on the limitless resources of information technology to integrate our security operations to provide stability to a singular non-oil sector that sustain the Nigerian economy.
“This is important because the development of shipping has capacity to generate $12 billion annually and millions of jobs. I am delighted to to inform you that these interventions by the Agency are being recognised. Even the respected International Maritime Bureau (IMB), has acknowledged our efforts and commended Nigeria’s progress in her quest for security in the Gulf of Guinea,” Jamoh stated.
