Why maritime bureau removed Nigeria from list of piracy-prone countries – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari said on Monday explained why the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) removed Nigeria from the list of piracy-prone countries.

The President, who spoke at the 2023 Presidential Fleet Review held in his honour by the Nigerian Navy in Lagos, said the IMB removed Nigeria from the list in March 2022 following the reduction in piracy in the country’s territorial waters in the last seven years.

Buhari said: “Furthermore, the application of technology to secure the maritime domain has supported intelligence-driven deployment of ships.

“I will particularly commend the diligent arraignment and prosecution of MT HEROIC IDUN, sequel to the detection and arrest, for attempting to load crude oil, offshore Bonny in August 2022 without authorisation, just to cite one example.”

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He stressed that the conviction of the ship and its owners was an affirmation of the Navy’s resolve to protect the country’s resources.

The Navy, according to the president, achieved the feat due to collaborations with its counterparts from partner nations.

“They had joint exercises such as Exercise OBANGAME EXPRESS, Exercise GRAND AFRICA NEMO, and Exercise FLINTLOCK to mention a few.

“These exercises have enhanced the Navy’s readiness for Maritime security operations,” he added.

He, however, commended the heads of navies and coast guards as well as foreign allies for their useful cooperation.

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