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Italian Navy carries out mock response to stimulated piracy attack in Gulf of Guinea

Italian pirate training exercise in GoG
The Italian authorities increased the level of safety on board national ships at MARSEC 2 and last week, undertook a training exercise in the Gulf of Guinea testing readiness and the systems in place to respond to threats to a merchant ship.
While there has been a significant decline in piracy activity in the Gulf of Guinea, in part due to the presence of international forces, the perceived threat to merchant ships remains high.

According to the Italian government, the Gulf of Guinea is an area of particular strategic and economic interest for Italy, both for the numerous trade exchanges with the countries of the region and for the supply of energy resources.

For these reasons, the Italy Navy, since January 2020, has been maintaining a presence and surveillance operation in the area, aimed at safeguarding the freedom of navigation as well as the safety and protection of merchant ships.

The frigate Luigi Rizzo, which left Italy on February 24 and is currently deployed in the Gulf of Guinea as part of the Gabinia anti-piracy operation under the Operational Control of Command in Chief of the Naval Squad led the exercise.

Also participating were the Italian Confederation of Shipowners (CONFITARMA), the Operations Center of the Navy and the Command in Chief of the Naval Team, and the National Coast Guard Operations Center (CONGUARCOST) in its function of IMRCC (Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Center).

Using a realistic scenario, off Ivory Coast, a simulated group of pirates in a small boat attempt to attack the Grande Cameroon, a 26,650 dwt ro-ro container ship owned by the Grimaldi Group.

The Italian flagged vessel, which is 691 feet in length, initiated the national alarm sequence involving the operational headquarters of the Grimaldi Group in Naples along with the IMRCC of the Coast Guard as the National Competent Authority for Ship Security. The notice went to CINCNAV resulting in the response by the frigate.

The military unit with its SH-90 helicopter placed a security team from the Marina San Marco Brigade aboard the vessel. The team prevented the attack, ensuring close protection, support, and assistance to the threatened merchant ship.

The Italian Navy reports that they tested the alarm and intervention procedures in place in the event of piracy incident as well as the operational structures.

Specific exercises such as these are frequently scheduled to verify the security plans, the communications between all the national institutions, and the operational and tactical interaction between the units of the Navy.

In April, the Luigi Rizzo was involved in an incident when pirates attempted an assault on the bulker Arch Gabriel.

The frigate dispatched one of its security teams by helicopter while it sailed to the vessel. They determined that the bulker’s crew was in the vessel’s citadel and searched the bulker to ensure that it was safe for the crew to resume operations.
Members from the brigade remained aboard the Arch Gabriel while the crew repaired damage from the pirates and the frigate also provided an escort as the bulker sailed into an anchorage closer to shore.

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Customs

Again, Apapa Customs intercepts, seizes two containers laden with Codeine syrup worth N3.4 billion

Funso OLOJO, Editor 
In what has now become a routine exercise, the Apapa customs command of the Nigeria Customs Service has once again intercepted harmful substance suspected to be Codeine syrup.
The latest seizure was made barely five days after the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi,  declared that Apapa Port is no longer a playground for smugglers or criminal syndicates hiding behind legitimate trade documentation
In a swift follow-up operation on Sunday, March 15th,  2026, the Command, in a joint collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), intercepted and seized two containers laden with a total number of 3,398 cartons (339,800 bottles) of Codeine-containing Syrup (CSP Codeine) carefully concealed in household utensils at the Apapa Port.
Cumulatively, the seizures have a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of Three Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety Eight Million, Naira (₦3,398,000,000.00) only.
The details of the seizures arevas follows:  a Container No. MRKU 3816476 found to contain 1,700 cartons (170,000 bottles) of CSP Codeine concealed with 38 cartons of pearl plating insulated casserole/5′ Bullet Insulated Hotspot and  Container No. TGBU 5399178 was found to contain 1,698 cartons (169,800 bottles) of CSP Codeine concealed with 36 cartons of pearl plating casserole.
 Both containers have been converted to seizure in accordance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 as amended.
Speaking on the latest interception, the Customs Area Controller (CAC) Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, said the seizure serves as a clear demonstration of the Command’s unwavering commitment to the directives and vision of the CGC.
“This fresh seizure, coming just five days after the CGC’s visit and strong warning to criminal elements, is a direct response to his charge on us.
“We are fully aligned with the Service’s intelligence-led enforcement strategy and will continue to make Apapa Port extremely hostile to smugglers and drug traffickers,” he stated.
He commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for its seamless collaboration and unwavering support in the successful operation.
Comptroller Oshoba maintained that the Apapa Area Command remains steadfast in its resolve to protect public health, safeguard national security and facilitate only legitimate trade, in line with the CGC’s renewed emphasis on technology-driven operations and zero tolerance for smuggling activities.
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Aviation

FAAN resumes toll collection at Airports, adopts hybrid payment method 

Gloria Odion, Reporter
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN) have resumed collection of toll at all its toll plazas located at the airports in the country, including Murtalar Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.
The toll suspension arose from the chaos which the new cashless payment method introduced by FAAN recently generated which resulted in long queues of motorists at these facilities.
This development has raised public outcry which necessitated the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who directed the suspension of the cashless payment system.
However, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has directed the resumption of toll collection at all these plazas.
In a press statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Tunde Moshood, the Minister declared that a hybrid access gate payment should be adopted by FAAN at the toll gates located at the Airports in the country.
“Following the earlier suspension of the full cashless Access Gate payment system as directed by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu due to the traffic gridlock it created, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development met with officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and senior officials of the Ministry.
“After reviewing the initial implementation and the operational challenges observed, the following decisions were reached:
” The Ministry has resolved to engage concessionaires in order to introduce a fully automated or electronic system at all access gates at our airports in order to fully and eventually eliminate cash payments.
” In the meantime, a hybrid payment system that accommodates both cash and card payments will resume at all airport access gates with effect from Friday, March 13, 2026.
” Motorists who already possess FAAN Go Cashless Cards may continue to use them until further notice.
“Other electronic payment options, including POS terminals and other approved digital channels, will also remain available.
“Members of the public and road users are encouraged to obtain and use the FAAN Go Cashless Card as the Authority continues to enhance and fully optimise the cashless payment system.
“This directive restores the previous access  gate payment arrangement whilst the Ministry continues to work on the fully automated or electronic system” the statement concluded.
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Headlines

NPA shines as Outstanding Agency of the Year 2025 at Champions newspaper Awards ceremony 

Funso OLOJO,  Editor 
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has won another award as the Outstanding Agency of the Year 2025 conferred on the agency by Champions Newspaper at its 2025 Awards ceremony held in Lagos.
Receiving the award on behalf of the Managing Director of the Authority, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, described the award as recognition of Danthoso  vigorous leadership in implementing smart initiatives that align with the NPA’s vision to become the Maritime Logistics Hub for Sustainable Port Services in Africa.
The NPA MD highlighted the invaluable support of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, which he said has been instrumental in achieving these remarkable successes.
According Dantsoho, some of the key remarkable performances of NPA include sustained port efficiencies, which contributed  to Nigeria’s year-on-year trade surplus of ₦7.5 trillion and ₦6.7 trillion in Q2 and Q3 2025 (per NBS and NESG reports), driven mainly by exports via NPA platforms.
He also mentioned the successful execution of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s policy for crude and petroleum product sales in Naira, saving billions in FOREX, enhancing energy security, improving trade balance, and creating jobs.
Others include completion of Nigeria’s membership in the International Port Community System Association (IPCSA), paving the way for the National Single Window (NSW) project, technical guidance enabling a significant rise in transhipment cargo at Lekki Deep Seaport, serving landlocked neighbours and recovering cargo lost to competing ports.
Another achievement made under the leadership of Danthoso was his electorial victory as the President of the Port Management Association of West & Central Africa (PMAWCA), with Dr. Dantsoho also leading PAPC, boosting Nigeria’s diplomatic standing and securing re-admission to IMO Category C.
Champions Newspaper conferred the award in appreciation of NPA’s pivotal role as a leading trade facilitation platform driving national economic prosperity through Nigeria’s maritime endowments.
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