Nigerian Navy intercepts fleeing vessel from Gabon

The Nigerian Navy (NN) has intercepted a vessel that allegedly fled from Gabon without proper documentation.

The vessel, MV BLU-SHARK, was intercepted in Calabar on May 6 at about 11:52hours by the navy’s NNS OSE, a statement by the Navy’s Director of Information, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, said on Friday in Abuja.

According to him, 11 crew members were arrested.

Adams-Aliu explained that the vessel was intercepted following an alert message on May 2, by the Multinational Maritime Co-ordination Center Zone D, which requested for the search and possible arrest of the vessel with IMO number 8767783.

He said the vessel allegedly escaped from Port Gentil Gabon on May 2 at about 11:35pm without obtaining necessary customs clearance documents from the Gabonese maritime, judicial and customs authorities.

“The arrest of MV BLU-SHARK is part of existing collaborative efforts between regional maritime security agencies in the Gulf of Guinea under the Yaoundé Code of Conduct on Maritime Security in the Region,” he said.

Adams-Aliu said that the arrest was also in line with Nigeria’s strategy for a safe and secure maritime environment to enhance the nation’s Blue Economy.

He said the navy would conduct preliminary investigations to ascertain the veracity of the allegation with a view to handling the vessel in line with the dictates of the Yaoundé Code of Conduct.

According to him, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, has commended the officers and ratings of NNS OSE for their professionalism in apprehending the alleged fleeing vessel.

He reiterated the Navy’s commitment to collaborating with neighbouring countries to combat transnational maritime crimes in the region.