By Stephen Ubanna
With barely four months of inactivity at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, due to the absence of Bashir Jamoh, Director General of the agency, who was said to have ventured into the murky waters of Nigerian waters to contest for the governorship of Kaduna state, economic and social activities appear to have bounced back in the agency since his return.
According to an insider, there was hardly a week since he had returned to the agency to take up his position as the Director General, that the leadership of one Group or the other, including industry stakeholders and Foreign visitors, have not called at his office to identify with the maritime poster boy.

The latest to pay a visit to the NIMASA, Director General, was Adjeh Monday, Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Branch and other members of the Executive. The NIMASA, Chief Executive Officer, CEO, may have gladdened the heart of the NBA, FCT, Chapter officials when he said that ‘’the agency will continue to take deliberate steps to work with critical institutions , particular, the Judiciary and other Professional bodies to reposition the nation’s maritime sector’’.
Th NIMASA, boss had said that working with the Judiciary was sacrosanct to the agency, even in the complex and time sensitive issues and the attendant requirement for prompt resolution of cases. He may have taken advantage of the NBA, FCT, Chapter, officials visit to speak about the implementation of the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime, SPOMO, Crimes bill that was passed into Law by the National Assembly and signed into Law by President Muhammadu Buhari into Law in June 2019.
The Kaduna state technocrat had repeatedly said that the implementation of the SPOMO by the agency with the support of the Judiciary, had introduced better appreciation of Nigeria’s determination to end the activities of Pirates and sea robbery, in Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea.
According to him, ‘’ prompt dispensation of Justice important for achieving success in the agency drive to elicit sustained investors’ confidence in the country’s maritime sector and the economy in general. He noted that the Judiciary remained a critical factor in the implementation of the SPOMO.
He had said that when ‘’there is a delay in a case, investment opportunities are lost’’. It was not surprising why Jamoh, the NIMASA, helmsman, had used the opportunity of Moday, the NCT, FCT, Chairman and his Team visit, ‘’to solicit for their cooperation and support to always push for timely dispute resolution for all maritime related issues’’. We all have one role or the other play in catalyzing the Nigerian economy, he had told his August visitors.

Giving an insider information of the implementation of the SPOMO Act, since June, 209, by the Maritime Regulatory agency with the support of the Judiciary, an elated Jamoh, said the Law has come’’ to stay, describing as a victory for Nigeria as a whole in its determination to assume its rightful position in the comity of nations’’.
He noted that some conventions of the International Maritime Organiation, IMO, have been secured by the agency between June 2019 and now, with the approval of the Katsina state born Nigerian President , which industry stakeholders had said was a signal that the country in the right path in the war against piracy and other maritime related crimes , in the nation’s maritime domain.
An appreciative Jamoh, had said that with the support of the Bench, the agency will not relent in its ffoorts ‘’to ensure a safe and secure maritime domain for the nation ,in line with its mandate’’. He was said to have reassured the NBA, Abuja Chapter, officials that the agency will continue ‘’to work closely with organs of government , the international community and other industry stakeholders ‘’to achieve improved security in Nigerian waterways and the Gulf of Guinea.
There is no gain saying the fact that with signed SPOMO Act, the agency was said to have so far, secured secured the convictions of 23 Pirates and sea robbers. A breakdown, shows that 10, of the convicted suspected Pirates will spend 10 years each, while another convicted persons, would spend seven years each in prsion, Nigerian Correctional facility in PortHarcourt, capital of Rivers state and Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve centre.
The NIMSA, Chief may have told the NBA, Abuja, Chapter officials, that the SPOMO Act, was not meant for prosecution of Nigerians caught in the Piracy and sea robbery but applies to foreigners as well. He had said that three Foreigners who were dragged to Court by the agency on account of crime activities in Nigeria waters and the Gulf of Guinea, may not have been jailed but were fined. The three Foreigners were said to have been fined $52,000 for hijacking a ship and securing a ransom of $200,000 for the eleaase of the Crew.
Emmanuel Effector, a Commodore and Rector, Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, had said that in 2017, alone, Piracy and sea robbery activities in Nigerian waters cost the country over N329 billion ,compared to N1.8 billion in the Asian Continent.
He pointed out that as Nigerian had continued to record low level of pirate activities in the nation’s waters and the Gulf of Guine, over the last two years with the deployment of the $195 million, equipmentsupplied by the Israeli security firm, HLSI Systems and Technologies Limited, a company contracted by the Nigerian government in 2017. The Israeli firm, between 2020 and now, had supplied 17 Interception Boats, for coastal patrol, 16 armoured vehicles, three helicopters, Two Special Mission aircrafts for Surveillance of Nigerian Economic Zone, Two Special Mission Vessels and four Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. NIMASA, in the spirit of inter-agency relationship, was said to have coopted the Nigeria Air Force, NAF, under the close watch of Air Marshall Oladayo Amao and Air Vice Admiral, Awwal Zaubairu Gambo, led Nigeria Navy, to manage and operate the maritime security equipment.
The International Maritime Bureau, IMB, had reported that there have been significant drop in Piracy activities in Nigeria waters and the Gulf of Guinea. It had reported that that of the 58 incidents recorded world-wide, in the first six months of 2022, only 31 cases occurred in Nigeria waters and the Gulf of Guinea, meaning that the de for ransom from shipping companies have also dropped significantly and may soon be wiped out from Nigerian maritime dictionary.
Jamoh ha told those that cares to listen that ‘notwithstanding the stride that had been achieved by the agency over the last two years in the area of safety and security of Nigerian maritime domain and the Gulf of Guinea, the agency equall recgnises the need for Professional development and realignment as well as increased partnership and collaboration amongst industry stakeholders, including the Judiciary. He was said to have told the visiting NBA, officials, Abuja, Chapter, that ‘’training and development were important components of the agency’s Administrative growth’’, stressing that ‘’it has a system where where officers, including those of the Legal unit of the agency are trained in various fields and