Senate calls for prosecution of pirates, bandits in Gulf of Guinea, internal waters

The Senate, on Wednesday, urged the Federal Government through the Attorney General of the Federation(AGF) to prosecute pirates and bandits operating in the Gulf of Guinea and Nigeria’s internal waters.
Senate in its resolution said the call for the prosecution the bandits was in accordance with the Anti -Piracy Act to serve as deterrent.
The call by senate is hinged on the adoption of a motion on urgent need to address the menace of piracy and banditry in the Gulf of Guinea and Nigeria’s internal waters.
The motion was sponsored by Senator Eyakenyi Etim ( PDP Akwa-Ibom ) and co-sponsored by 13 other senators.
Etim, while presenting the motion commended the Federal Government, the, Navy and Nigerian Maritime time and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for their fight for reduction of piracy and banditry activities in the Gulf of Guinea and Nigeria’s waters.
She said the report of International Maritime Bureau for Piracy and the United Nations had categorised the Gulf of Guinea as the most dangerous waters in the world.
She said in 2018, 57 of the 156 reported incidents of pirates and armed banditry occurred in the Gulf of Guinea and 41 of the incidents took place in Nigeria’s waters.
She said so far, 21 of the 78 reported incidents of the global menace happened in Nigeria in 2019.
She said the regional Maritime Security Institute had noted that 50 per cent or more of piracy and banditry attacks on the Gulf of Guinea are unreported.
“Due to the fight to reduce piracy and armed banditry in Nigeria’s international waters and the activities of the Navy in Bayelsa and Rivers, creeks, the pirates and armed bandits have been forced to now move further inward to terrorize local fishermen, traders and transporters in Oron coastal area of Nigeria.
“They are extorting money, stealing goods, snatching boats, raping women, girls, kidnapping for ransom, and taking the hostages to their camps in the creeks.”
She said despite the effort of the Navy, piracy and armed banditry was now common in Nigerian internal waters especially along the Oron coastal area making the waters perilous for fishermen, traders and transporters.
“The menace of the pirates and bandits who have made the creeks of Akwa Ibom State their habitation has led to untold story of woes, hardship, kidnap and deaths among the fishing communities, traders and transporters.
“It has crippled the local economy of the area and led to further instability in the Niger Delta region.”
According to her, if the activities of the pirates and armed bandits continue, more lives would be lost and the tales of rape, deaths, goods and boats snatching, kidnapping would go on, reducing fellow Nigerians to hunted humans in their country.
She said it was disheartening that a large section of Nigerians, who depend on the waters for their livelihood are at the mercy of pirates and bandits.
She said the establishment of Maritime Police would go a long way in effectively policing piracy and armed banditry.
“Reminded that the right to life is a fundamental right and that every Nigerian is entitled to security and dignity of the human person,”she said.
Following her presentation, the senate in its resolution resolved to further urge NIMASA to quickly fast-track the implementation of the Deep Blue Sea project for the protection of Nigeria’s waters .
It said the implementation would go a long way in arresting the menace of the pirates and armed bandits.
It also urged the Federal Government to bring forward a bill on the Deep Blue Sea project for quick passage into law.
It said the bill would seek to integrate NIMASA, Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Police.
The senate also urge the Federal Government through the NAVY to deploy more naval personnel on the Oran coastal area to check the activities of the pirates and bandits.