The United Nations (UN) has praised Nigeria for being the first country in Africa to successfully obtain a conviction for piracy, according to a statement from the Office of the National Security Advisor (NSA).
NSA spokesman Zakari Usman made this known this Thursday in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES.
According to him, the executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Ghada Fathi-Wali, made the comment in New York.
He said that Nigeria’s leadership role and commitment to curb maritime crime could be attributed to the successful collaboration between Nigeria and UNODC.
He added that the Global Maritime Crime Program and Strategic Vision for Africa launched in 2021 have encouraged the organization to extend its partnership beyond national governments to regional organizations.
The Nigerian Piracy and Other Maritime Crimes Suppression Act 2019 (POMO Act) aims to “prevent and suppress piracy, armed robbery and any other illegal act against a ship, aircraft and any other maritime vessel, including fixed and floating platforms.
It also gives effect to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982 (UNCLOS) and the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation, 1988 (SUA).
As of December 2021, Nigeria was the only country in Africa to pass the anti-piracy law.
“Following Nigeria’s first successful prosecution of piracy in Africa, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Ghada Fathi Wali, has applauded Nigeria for its leadership role and commitment to curbing maritime crime,” the statement said.
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Read the full statement:
PRESS RELEASEUN congratulates Nigeria on first successful piracy conviction in Africa
ABUJA, FCT, 20 JANUARY 2022 – Following Nigeria’s first successful prosecution of piracy in Africa, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Ghada Fathi Wali, has applauded Nigeria for its leadership role and commitment to curbing maritime crime.
Wali delivered the eulogy in New York, noting that the successful collaboration between Nigeria and UNODC, as evidenced by the Global Program against Maritime Crime and the Strategic Vision for Africa launched in 2021, has encouraged the organization to extend its partnership beyond from national governments to regional organizations. .
In fact, one of the gaps identified by the Federal Government of Nigeria in the fight against maritime crime was the weakness of the legal and institutional framework to prosecute offenders. In response, President Muhammadu Buhari, on June 24, 2019, passed the Prohibition of Piracy and Other Maritime Crimes (POMO) Bill.
Through the POMO Act, Nigeria became the first country in the West and Central Africa subregions to enact a separate anti-piracy law. The Act also incorporates, as required, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982, and the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA), 1988.
In July 2021, under the POMO Act, the federal government secured the successful prosecution of 10 pirates for the first time in Africa. But in addition to creating a legal and institutional framework for the prosecution of maritime crimes, the Federal Government has also prioritized the provision of maritime intelligence facilities.
For example, President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned a state-of-the-art Falcon Eye maritime intelligence facility at Naval Headquarters in Abuja last year.
The Office of the National Security Advisor (ONSA) facilitated the establishment and commissioning of the project as part of efforts to advance Nigeria’s overall maritime security architecture, in accordance with the National Security Strategy (NSS, 2019), under which the kidnapping of oil workers, theft/piracy at sea, the incessant problems of crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, hostage taking and maritime terrorism are classified as security threats national.
The UNODC commendation therefore places an enormous responsibility on Nigeria to continue to lead innovative efforts towards combating maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea and across the continent, especially in the areas of intelligence sharing and coordinated legal strategy. .
The Office of the National Security Advisor is committed to continued national, regional, and international collaboration to strengthen legal, administrative, and operational efforts in line with national maritime security objectives. Therefore, all stakeholders are encouraged to continue to set high standards in the prevention and prosecution of maritime crime.
Signed: Zakari Usman, Chief, Strategic Communication, Office of the National Security Advisor