Headlines

Controversy rages over Danish attacks on suspected pirates in Gulf of Guinea

Danish Frigate

—-as arrested suspects docked

—- counsel claims they acted in self-defence

Eyewitness reporter with agency report

Controversy over the killing last month of suspected pirates in the Gulf of Guinea by the Danish Navy has continued to reverberate as counsel to the arrested suspects had claimed they acted in self-defence when the Frigate Esbern Snare attempted to board their boat.

It could be recalled that the Danish Navy, patrolling the Gulf of Guinea, killed four suspected pirates in November, while it arrested other four.

One of the arrested was gravely injured and had his leg amputated.

The ninth person fell overboard.

A group of Nigerian Maritime lawyers has however asked that the shooting incident should be investigated.

At the Danish court in Copenhagen where the four surviving suspected pirates were arraigned, Birgitte Skjodt, a defence counsel to one of the suspects whose client was gravely wounded in the incident last month, said the men had been acting in self-defence.

“The accused were sitting in a little boat and felt attacked. It is, therefore, self-defence,” she told public television broadcaster DR.

The Danish Judge on Wednesday however extended the detention of four suspected pirates detained by additional 14 days.

“The judge extended their detention by 14 days,” said Birgitte Skjodt, a lawyer representing one of the four men.The men were detained after a clash with the Danish navy in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Nigeria on November 24.

Four others were killed in the exchanges, Denmark’s armed forces have said, while a ninth pirate fell overboard.

After their boat sank, the pirates were brought on board the Danish navy ship, where one of them had to have a leg amputated due to serious wounds.

Their nationalities were not immediately clear, but the Danish armed forces have said those detained at sea have spoken to their families in Nigeria.

It all started when the frigate Esbern Snare, which has been patrolling the area since early November, attempted to board the pirate boat. The Danish forces and the pirates exchanged gunfire.

Danish prosecutors accuse the pirates of firing the first shot and are seeking to press charges over them for attacking Danish soldiers but the suspects have denied the accusations.

The prosecution team also wants to bring the suspects to Denmark, but Denmark has not signed any extradition agreement with countries around the Gulf of Guinea.

A piracy hotspot, stretching 5,700 kilometres (3,540 miles) from Senegal to Angola, the Gulf of Guinea saw 195 attacks in 2020.

The same year, 130 of 135 hostage-takings at sea occurred in the region, according to the International Maritime Organisation(IMO).

Copenhagen in March announced it was sending the Esbern Snare to patrol the zone, where some 40 Danish ships operate daily.

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Customs

Group confers “continental” award on Adeniyi over customs’ phenomenal revenue record

Adeniyi, CGC

Funso OLOJO

The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, C.G.C Adewale Bashir Adeniyi, has been nominated and approved to be honoured with “The Continent Man of The Year 2024” Award by Board of Editors and Publishers of Continent magazine.

This resolution was announced by the spokesman of the group, Mr David Oladimeji, at the end of group’s meeting held on Friday, September 13th, 2024 in Abuja.

The meeting was organized by” The Continent “Magazine to deliberate on a personality and organisation deserving of the Award.

The Board’s attention was drawn to the statement made recently by former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (C.B.N) and sitting Governor of Anambra state, Prof Chukwuma Soludo,who told his constituents in Awka that the Customs and F.I.R.S have sustained the nation’s economy from collapse since February this year, when the NNPCL stopped remittance of statutory revenue to the Federation Account for onward disbursements to the three tiers of governments.

Oladimeji said “the Board noted that this is not an easy task to be achieved under the astute and dedicated leadership of C.G.C Adeniyi, considering the fact that the Customs and it’s officers have been perceived by the public as corrupt and fraudulent”

” In a bid to commend and encourage leaders of the customs and F.I.R.S as well as their lieutenants not to rest on their oars, the Board resolved to honour the C.G.C, his Command Controllers and Revenue Collectors who had made significant sacrifices and excelled in their national anti-smuggling, revenue collection assignments with “The Continent Man of The Year” and “Pillars of Nigerian Economy 2024″ Awards”

As plans are geared towards the celebration of the international and national icons at a date to be announced soon, “The Continent” special edition will publish the profile and achievements of the deserving recipients that earned them recognition and honour.

Headlines

NIMASA secures support of Bank of Industry for enhanced capacity building in maritime industry

Funso OLOJO

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has broker a partnership with the Bank of Industry (BOI) to enhance its capacity building effort in the maritime industry.

The Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, represented by the Executive Director of Maritime Labour and Cabotage Services, Mr. Jibril Abba, made this disclosure during a visit by the Management of the Bank of Industry, led by Executive Director of Large Enterprises, Mrs. Ifeoma Uz’Okpala.

He stated, “In addition to safety, security, and maritime labor, the Agency’s mandate encompasses capacity development aimed at growing the sector.”

He also reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to collaboration as a vital tool for achieving its mandate.

“The aim is to actualize the vision of the Federal Government to reposition the maritime sector, especially with the creation of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy”, he said.

On her part, the Executive Director of Large Enterprises at BOI, Mrs. Uz’Okpala, affirmed the Bank’s readiness to support NIMASA.

She also emphasized the importance of collaboration in implementing a robust capacity-building initiative that will contribute to economic growth in Nigeria.

Bank of Industry Limited is Nigeria’s oldest and largest Development Finance Institution (DFI) currently in operation.

It is owned by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) Nigeria (94.80%), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) (5.19%) and private shareholders (0.01%)

Headlines

NIMASA secures support of Bank of Industry for enhanced capacity building in maritime industry

Funso OLOJO

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has broker a partnership with the Bank of Industry (BOI) to enhance its capacity building effort in the maritime industry.

He stated, “In addition to safety, security, and maritime labor, the Agency’s mandate encompasses capacity development aimed at growing the sector.”

He also reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to collaboration as a vital tool for achieving its mandate.

“The aim is to actualize the vision of the Federal Government to reposition the maritime sector, especially with the creation of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy”, he said.

On her part, the Executive Director of Large Enterprises at BOI, Mrs. Uz’Okpala, affirmed the Bank’s readiness to support NIMASA.

She also emphasized the importance of collaboration in implementing a robust capacity-building initiative that will contribute to economic growth in Nigeria.

Bank of Industry Limited is Nigeria’s oldest and largest Development Finance Institution (DFI) currently in operation.

It is owned by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) Nigeria (94.80%), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) (5.19%) and private shareholders (0.01%).