The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), said it has taken delivery of additional mobile assets for enhanced maritime security under the deep blue project.
The newly acquired assets include two unmanned aircraft systems, nine interceptor patrol boats and 10 armoured vehicles, and they would add to the existing assets earlier procured by the Federal Government and commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Bashir Jamoh, director-general of NIMASA, while thanking President Buhari for sustained support in the fight against sea piracy and other maritime crimes, said the additional equipment will improve on the gains recorded in securing the Gulf of Guinea and Nigerian maritime domain.
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Jamoh, who described the recently held Gulf of Guinea Maritime Collaboration Forum (GOG-MCF/SHADE) in Abuja as a success in rallying international support in the suppression of maritime insecurity, said Nigeria’s commitment in regional maritime security will always be sustained.
He recommended the Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act emplaced by Nigeria as a robust statute that supports maritime law enforcement which other countries are considering to replicate.
“Nigeria is improving on her capacity to fight maritime crime by procuring state of the art technology, upgrading human capacity for effective service delivery and deployment of the assets for round the clock patrol, interdiction and reconnaissance with the support of Nigerian Navy and other security agencies we signed MoU,” he said.
According to him, the newly procured assets would assist NIMASA in building on the gains already recorded in the fight against piracy, sea robbery, oil theft, kidnapping, illegal fishing activities and others.
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