Naval Chief Ogalla announces the arrest of 4,606 suspects involved in maritime crimes, highlighting ongoing efforts to combat illegal activities at sea.
Between the years 2015 and 2024, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, The Chief of Naval Staff declared that at least 4,606 suspects have been apprehended for committing different types of maritime offenses.
He further stated that the alleged culprits were apprehended in the localities located along the riverbanks.
On Friday, during the presentation of the 3rd distinguished personality lecture at Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies (IPSS), University of Ibadan, Ogalla made this statement.
During his presentation of the paper titled “Enhancing Nigeria’s Blue Economy through Combating Maritime Crimes: The Role of Nigerian Navy”, Ogalla advocated for the creation of dedicated courts to try individuals implicated in maritime crimes.
In addition, he disclosed that within the time frame of 2015 to 2024, prosecuting agencies received a total of 250 arrested vessels.
He further stated that out of the total number, only 82 cases have resulted in successful prosecution, leaving a remaining balance of 168 currently detained by the Nigerian Navy.
He stated that the Navy has shown a firm dedication to guaranteeing a secure environment imperative for advancing the blue economy.
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“The criminal behavior of these offenders is being justified by certain community leaders,” Ogalla stated. “This hinders enforcement efforts under maritime law and presents a major hurdle to ensuring security in the seas.”
The statement highlights the pressing requirement for holistic, across-the-board measures that can tackle underlying reasons behind maritime crime in Nigeria. This criminal activity poses a severe threat to unlocking profitable Blue economy opportunities in the country.
Swift prosecution of maritime crimes is vital to gather and scrutinize data, which plays a key role in creating effective policies and laws that combat such offenses. This facilitates the development of blue economy domains as well.
Since 2015, the Nigerian Navy has transferred 250 detained vessels to prosecuting agencies. However, only 82 of them have been effectively prosecuted so far. As a result, as many as 168 ships are still under custody of the navy in Nigeria together with their crew members for six years now.
These prosecuting agencies have caused the Nigerian Navy to lose a substantial amount of cases due to their lack of diligent prosecution when it comes to maritime suspects.
Also, a sum of more than N450 million is spent on legal services for these private lawyers instead of funding crucial infrastructure needed to tackle maritime crimes.
