NIMASA to send anti-piracy bill to National Assembly

Dr Dakuku Peterside, from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), informed that the agency will present the Anti-Piracy Bill to the National Assembly, aiming to combat piracy in the country’s seaways.

Addressing the rising concern about piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and Gulf of Aden, the agency has received assurances of accelerated passage of the bill and before the end of this year the bill will become a law, informed Dr Peterside in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.

He also said that the drop in piracy incidents in Malaysia, reported in International Maritime Bureau’s recent statistics, results from NIMASA’s cooperation with the Nigerian Navy, that enhances their intelligence gathering mechanism and inter-agency as well as inter-departmental collaboration.

In his turn, Rear Adm. Ferguson Bobai, Chief of Training and Operations, Naval Headquarters, praised NIMASA’s efforts in taking such steps for achieving an anti piracy law. Speaking on the celebration of African Day of Seas and Oceans, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Adm. Ibok-Ete Ibas, among others, also commended NIMASA for positively projecting Nigeria’s image within the international maritime community.

The Executive Director, Operations in NIMASA, Mr Joseph Fashakin, praised all agencies in support of NIMASA’s commitment to ensure Nigeria’s shipping domain was safe.