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CJN pledges judiciary’s support for NIMASA in war against piracy

Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, CJN

The eyewitness reporter

The Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman, the Board of Governors of the National Judicial Institute, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola has stated that the judiciary has a role to play in all legal forms of the fight against piracy, noting that a secured maritime domain was vital to economic development and advancement.

The CJN stated this while declaring the 3rd edition of the Nigerian Admiralty Law Colloquium for Justices of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal and Judges of the Federal High Court, Open in Lagos.

The CJN, who was represented at the event by Hon. Justice Musa Dattjo Muhammad, averred that he was pleased with the 2023 edition of the Nigerian Admiralty Law Colloquium because it was tailored towards effective and efficient adjudication of cases as well as curbing the menace of piracy within the Gulf of Guinea.

He observed that the Gulf of Guinea was richly endowed and that it was necessary for key players in the maritime sector to continually engage in constructive discussions to achieve the benefits associated with the maritime industry.

“The Gulf of Guinea encompasses eight African countries, to wit; Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo.

” These countries are home to about 4.5 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves and about 2.7 percent of proven natural gas reserves.

” Two-thirds of these reserves are concentrated within the exclusive economic zone of Nigeria, the center of gravity of the region, whose oil sector accounts for 75 percent of the state’s revenue and about 90 percent of total export.

” The Gulf of Guinea is richly endowed with vast reserves of hydrocarbon, mineral and fisheries resources, making it a strategic area”.

Speaking further, the CJN said that the workshop was apt, as it would create avenues for capacity building and increased maritime domain awareness.

He affirmed his belief that ultimately, participants at the event would be able to drive conversations on how to maximize the benefits of the maritime sector and also generate ideas and strategies necessary for its sustenance and safety.

He opined that the colloquium was a proactive measure to further expose judicial Officers to fundamental developments in Maritime Security issues, enabling them to be at par with international relevant laws and policies governing the maritime security sub-sector.

The CJN commended the management of NIMASA under the stewardship of Dr. Bashir Jamoh,for his grit and determination in ensuring that the Agency fulfills its mandate.

He noted that under Jamoh, the Agency had recorded notable improvements in maritime security and safety, especially through the effective implementation of the Deep Blue Project which has, among other things, led to the impressive decline in piracy and armed robbery on the sea.

“The legal strategies being adopted by Nigeria to combat maritime piracy and armed robbery in the Nigerian waters have not gone unnoticed.

” This is evident in the creation of Nigeria’s Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences Act (SPOMO) 2019.

“Before the advent of the 2019 Anti-Piracy Act, there were no specific ‘laws to determine the context of piracy in Nigerian waters and legal enforcement in response to maritime insecurity.

“Thus, the 2019 Anti-Piracy Act is an important step in securing the country’s coastline and seas. It has also ensured an increased level of transparency and accountability in the maritime sector, by strengthening the governing institutions to attract investment capital through the implementation of regulatory and fiscal framework for the Nigerian maritime industry.

” This will encourage foreign investors to have a sense of trust in the Nigerian Maritime industry, which will enhance revenue for the government while ensuring a fair return on investment”, the CJN said.

In his remarks, the Chief Justice of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Hon. Justice John T. Tsoho commended the management of NIMASA for its role in enhancing the development of maritime law and its knowledge.

Justice Tsoho, who was represented by Honourable Justice Adekunle Olayinka Faji, noted that since the Federal High Court was the court with primary jurisdiction in maritime matters, Federal High Court would always support relevant legislations that would ensure efficiency and effectiveness in harnessing the gains in the maritime industry.

“The price of peace and freedom is however vigilance. If we are to harness the gains of a secured maritime domain, we must continue to build capacity and fine-tune our laws.

” It is in this connection that I must state that work has been concluded on the new Admiralty Jurisdiction Procedure Rules and the text has been sent for gazetting.

” It is thus only a matter of days before the new Rules will come into force. The Nigerian Maritime Law Association (NMLA) is also at work on the new Admiralty Jurisdiction Act.

“All these legislative efforts are geared towards enhancing the potentials of our country in the Deep Blue Project and the overall growth of our economy”, he said.

In his opening remarks, the Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, observed that it was gratifying to note, that the Admiralty Workshop had moved so rapidly that so soon, after a dark period when all discourse centered around insecurity and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, NIMASA and all stakeholders in the maritime industry were today sufficiently emboldened to move the trend of engagement to another level, as the maritime industry gave consideration to the vital issue of harnessing the gains of a secured maritime domain.

Speaking further, Jamoh, who was represented by the NIMASA’s Executive Director of Finance and Administration, Hon. Chudi Offodile, stated that a well-developed blue economy would be strong enough to service Nigeria’s annual budget because it encompasses all economic activities associated with the oceans and seas.

However, he observed that despite these endowments and abundant resources in the nation’s oceans and seas to back her economic diversification and development drive, Nigeria was yet to take full advantage of the emergent ocean economy to expand its revenue base.

According to him, “Since the concept of the blue economy began to gain traction decades ago, maritime nations have been harnessing the full benefits of the ocean economy by protecting their oceans and seas, which is why NIMASA is working tirelessly to secure our waters and the Gulf of Guinea.

“The time has come for us as a nation to build on the successful achievement of security in the Gulf of Guinea and work intentionally to harness the profitability of our maritime space”.

Present at the Colloquium was the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Z. Gambo, who was represented by Rear Admiral BJ Gbassa, the Chief Justice of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Kazeem Alogba, the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Professor Muhammed Tawfiq Ladan, Sir Hon. Justice Biobele Abraham Georgewill, the Chief Justice of Anambra State, Hon. Justice Onochie Anyachebelu, Dr. Emeka Akabogu, Mike Igbokwe, SAN, amongst other Justices and Maritime stakeholders.

Themed, “Beyond Maritime Security Threats In The Gulf of Guinea: Harnessing the Gains of a Secured Maritime Domain”, the 3rd edition of the Nigerian Admiralty Law Colloquium was organised by NIMASA in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) and the National Judicial Institute (NJI), for Justices of the Supreme Court and Appeal Court and Judges of the Federal High Court of Nigeria.

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Open Letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the need to assent to the Nigerian Shipping and Ports Economic Regulatory Agency(NSPERA) bill

By Elder Asu Beks

Mr President,on behalf of the Maritime Elders Forum and entire maritime stakeholders, i respectfully send you season’s greetings.

There is no doubt, Mr President, that 2025 has been one of the most turbulent and challenging years in the history of our nation.

From the wave of insecurity ,which you have tackled squarely,to the far reaching economic reforms which has translated to the tax reform bills , are all pointers to the fact that you are taking the challenges head on.

Mr President , your modest achievements in the Oil and Gas sector are also there for all to see.

From the bold decision to abolish fuel subsidy to the increase in daily production levels to an average 1.8m bpd ,from about 1mbpd daily output as at May ,2023, and the complete disapperance of fuel queues, it is certain, Mr President, that you are building a legacy of renewed hope, unprecedented in the life of our nation.

We cannot thank you enough, Mr President.

For us in the maritime sector, the most profound of your score card remains the creation of a specialised Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

The demand for a Ministry to oversee Nigeria’s vast maritime domain is as old as Nigeria’s Independence.

For us as critical stakeholders, this couldnt have come at a better time.

In just two years of the creation of this specialised Ministry, Nigerians are already reaping bountifully from this innovative move.

Only last month,Nigeria won an election into the elusive category ” C” of the International Maritime Organisation, (IMO).

This victory is coming after nine unsuccessful attempts, spanning 14 years.

With this victory , which couldn’t have been posible without your fatherly role,our fortunes as one of the greatest maritime nations in sub saharan Africa has been solidified.

Mr President, another milestone recorded under your watch ,since the creation of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy is the introduction of the game changing National Single Window platform which comes into effect in the first quarter of 2026.

The National Single Window is a trade facilitation tool designed to eliminate multiple entries by various regulatory bodies in business transactions in our seaports.

In other words, it is a digitalized platform that allows importers and exporters to submit all necessary documents, permits , and data to multiple government agencies through a single entry point.

Mr President, with these developments, you have etched your name as “the President who saw tomorrow” by demonstrating in concrete terms, the enormous potentials which this sector holds as your administration continues to look at a Nigeria beyond oil.

In this regard, Mr President ,we the Maritime Elders Forum urge you ,without delay to sign into law, the Nigerian Shipping and Port Regulatory Agency (NPERA) Bill .

The NPERA Bill aims to transform the Nigerian Shippers Council, (NSC) into a powerful, independent economic regulator for Nigeria’s Ports,creating a strong frame work for tariffs,fair competition and efficiency after port concession.

The Bill, a brain child of Dr Tajudeen Abass, Speaker, Federal House of Representatives, is aimed to fill the vacuum created by an absence of a regulatory agency in such a critical sector of our national economy ,as against other sectors such as banking, petroleum , energy and communication.

This critical Bill seeks to repeal the old Nigerian Shippers Council Act and empower the Council to manage port economic activities, boosting the Blue Economy.

Mr President, the laudable objectives of this Bill include;establishing an independent regulation to create a strong legally backed economic regulator for our ports; Control tariffs, charges and regulate port charges in such a manner as to prevent arbitrariness and ensure fairness; to promote fair competition by improving overall port operations and attract investment; Support the Blue Economy to align with our national goals for developing Nigeria’s Marine Economy.

Your Excellency Sir, this Bill was given an accelerated hearing ,and was passed by both chambers of the National Assembly on April 10, 2025 upon which it was forwarded to you for assent.

Mr President sir, the delay or your failure to assent to this Bill is coming at huge cost and has resulted in significant economic losses for Nigeria, primarily by perpetuating an unregulated and inefficient port system that has led to huge financial leakages that deter investment.

Mr President, sir, it is estimated that the nation is losing billions of dollars dailly to the absence of a strong legal frame work for port economic regulation.

We have on good authority, Mr President, that this obvious lack or absence of a regulated ports industry is also taking a huge toll on local and foreign investments as an estimated $250b is said to be lost annually, aside arbitrary charges by terminal operators and Shipping Lines .

In a nutshell, Mr President, the envisaged benefits of this brand new Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy has been eroded on account of the absence of a legal regulatory frame work.

As it stands, sir ,a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy without an Economic Regulator is akin to a football game without a referee.

it means anything goes and the out come of a game without an official umpire could be better imagined.

Mr President sir, consequently ,the time to sign the NPERA Bill is now.

Thank you Mr President for listening to this passionate appeal.

Let this be your new year present to Maritime Stakeholders.

ELDER ASU BEKS, CONVENER, MARITIME ELDERS FORUM, LAGOS

Headlines

Tantita intercepts stolen crude on escort of Delta Marine Police, arrests four suspects

Funso OLOJO

Tantita Security Services Limited, a pipeline surveillance operations company, has intercepted a tanker vessel, MT Thor, laden with suspected stolen crude oil.

The interception, which occurred on December 15th, 2025, around the Koko–Excravos axis of Delta State, happened while the vessel was allegedly being escorted by personnel of the Police Marine Unit, Delta State, who reportedly claimed they were acting on directives from the Force Intelligence Department (FID), Abuja.

Four suspects have been apprehended in connection with the incident and are currently facing investigation for possible prosecution.

The arrest was announced during the handover of the suspects at Koko Port in Delta State by Tantita Security Services Limited (TSSNL), a firm engaged in pipeline surveillance operations.

Speaking at the handover of the vessel and the suspects at Koko Port, Delta state, the Executive Director of Operations at Tantita, Captain Warredi Enisouh, said the suspects were apprehended with an unspecified quantity of suspected illegally sourced petroleum products aboard the vessel.

According to a situation report made available by the Special Prosecution Team (SPT) of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Petroleum Product Theft, Tantita alerted the Head of Investigation of the SPT after intercepting MT Thor, which was allegedly laden with crude oil obtained through illicit means.

Preliminary investigations by law enforcement agencies revealed that the vessel, now classified as an exhibit in an ongoing criminal investigation, is linked to a jetty operated by Ebenco Global Services Limited.

Investigation officers disclosed that documents and correspondence connected to the jetty were obtained and are currently under review.

“The owner of the jetty, Mr. Ebenezer, was contacted by investigators and reportedly provided additional documents, including court orders, which are also being analysed as part of the investigation.

“On December 16, a joint investigation team led by the Head of Investigation of the SPT conducted a Joint Inspection Visit in Koko.

The team first met at Tantita’s corporate headquarters in Warri for a briefing, which was also attended by the jetty owner.

“During the inspection, investigators attempted to obtain samples from MT Thor but were unable to do so immediately as the vessel had not yet arrived at the jetty, having been towed from an earlier location by security operatives.

“While awaiting the vessel’s arrival, the team inspected other containers suspected to be carrying crude oil within the premises of Ebenco Global Links Limited, where samples were taken from a storage barge.

“MT Thor eventually berthed at about 8:30 p.m. on 16 December, prompting the joint team to adjourn sampling and other procedures until the following day.

As of 17 December 2025, investigators were reported to be en route to Koko to continue sample collection and complete investigation formalities,” the report read.

Receiving the suspects, the Head of the Special Prosecution Team of the Inter-Agency Task Force, Omar Sini, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s resolve to dismantle crude oil theft networks in the Niger Delta, assuring that all findings would be thoroughly examined and prosecuted in line with the law.

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Mobereola, NIMASA DG, reflects on year 2025 with satisfaction, says 2026 holds promising opportunities for maritime industry

Funso OLOJO

The Director -General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr. Dayo Mobereola, has expressed his satisfaction over the achievements recorded in the maritime industry in the outgoing year of 2025, while looking forward to a promising 2026 with hope.

In his Christmas message to the stakeholders in the maritime industry, Dr Mobereola noted that the 2026 ended well with the election of Nigeria into the category C of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) after 14 years of failed attempts as well as zero occurrence of piracy attacks on Nigeria’ waters.

“The year 2025 has been a good one for our industry as once again, we have not recorded a single piracy attack in our waters in a whole calendar year, Nigeria was also able to deposit three Instruments of Accession to IMO Conventions that were signed by President Bola Tinubu ,we have been able to maintain industrial harmony in the sector all of which culminated to Nigeria’s election into the category C Council of the International Maritime Organization.

“We couldn’t have done this without our stakeholders who have contributed in various ways in the course of their operations during the year. We see you, we thank you and we felicitate with your during this yuletide season”Mobereola observed.

He however assured that the Agency will re-double efforts in ensuring that 2026 is even better for every stakeholder.

While calling on industry operators to brace up for the new year with hope of better times, Dr. Mobereola noted that “at NIMASA, we appreciate the weight of our renewed responsibility by virtue of Nigeria’s membership of the IMO Council because to whom much is given, much is definitely expected.

” You can therefore be sure of an increased momentum in our resolve to sustain maritime safety, security, environmental protection and adherence to relevant conventions and protocols with renewed vigour.”

The DG concluded by acknowledging the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, industry stakeholders, management and staff of NIMASA as well as all Nigerians and wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.