The Nigerian Navy (NN) has intercepted a vessel that allegedly fled from Gabon without proper documentation.
Jerrymusa.com reports that the Nigerian Navy’s NNS OSE intercepted the vessel MV BLU-SHARK in Calabar on May 6 at 11:52 am, according to a statement by the Navy’s Director of Information, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, on Friday in Abuja. The interception resulted in the arrest of 11 crew members.
The vessel was targeted following an alert from the Multinational Maritime Co-ordination Center Zone D on May 2, which requested a search and possible arrest of the vessel with IMO number 8767783.
About the Rouge Vessel From Gabon
The vessel allegedly evaded departure procedures from Port Gentil, Gabon, on May 2 at 11:35 pm without obtaining necessary customs clearance documents from Gabonese authorities.
“The arrest is part of regional collaborative efforts to enhance maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea under the Yaoundé Code of Conduct. The Nigerian Navy will conduct preliminary investigations to verify the allegations and handle the vessel accordingly.”
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, commended the officers and ratings of NNS OSE for their professionalism in apprehending the fleeing vessel, reiterating the Navy’s commitment to collaborating with neighboring countries to combat transnational maritime crimes in the region.