Nigeria has called for the establishment of a specialised court to try maritime piracy cases in the Gulf of Guinea.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, made the call while speaking at the 6th ordinary session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Gulf of Guinea Commission in Accra, Ghana on Tuesday.
He said: “Your Excellencies, to counter the soft bigotry of low expectations, it is imperative that we consider setting up a specialized court in our region to try maritime piracy cases.
“Piracy is regarded as an international criminal offence, international jurisdictions are replete with examples of bringing offenders to book.
“The time is apt for the GGC to step forward and lead the way in establishing a specialized court to handle the trials of maritime crimes.
“This requires agreements with regional states and setting up processes to facilitate the trial of offenders in the court of competent jurisdiction that we would establish.”
The minister, who stressed the importance of the Gulf to the region, added: “As a demonstration of our commitment to the Gulf of Guinea Commission, Nigeria’s National Assembly passed the Suppression of Piracy Other Maritime Offences Act in 2019 to prevent and suppress Piracy, Armed Robbery and any other unlawful acts against any vessels unlawfully operating in the Gulf Region.
“Nigeria continues to deploy significant resources towards tackling piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. This has resulted in a significant containment of threats. We are proud to state that since 2022 till date, there have been no incidents of piracy recorded in Nigeria’s territorial waters.
“Implementation of the suppression of piracy law has resulted in convictions and a clear demonstration of its effectiveness in combating piracy and other maritime crimes.
“These successes have improved Nigeria’s international image and highlighted her determination to fight crime in her territorial waters and Gulf of Guinea.”
He added: “Similarly, the commission should make more efforts to safeguard the environment and protect the region from environmental degradation, guard against dumping of radioactive material and nuclear waste. Guarding against pollution by ships is another priority.
“Nigeria calls for the endorsement of the initiative of the Chiefs of the Navies and the Coast Guards in the establishment of the Combined Maritime task Force to promote synergy in the region.
“The importance and significance of Gulf of Guinea to Africa cannot be over emphasized. To this end, Nigeria takes this opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to the work and mandate of the Gulf of Guinea Commission.”
He also stressed the need for concrete measurable timelines for the exploration of the rich natural resources of the region’s deep waters.
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