BY KAJOGBOLA TAOHEED KEHINDE
The Nigerian Navy has handed over ‘MT Sea Eunice’ a merchant tanker vessel that was arrested for switching of its Automatic Identification System (AIS), to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
The vessel was arrested on August 11, 2022, by the Nigerian Navy. The vessel, it was gathered, is presently located along Escravos River, close to the Aroton community.
The Base Operation Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship, Delta (NNS, DELTA), Commander Samuel Musa, who gave the reason for the arrest of the vessel, said that it was arrested for constantly switching off her Automatic Identification System (AIS).
This shows there was a violation of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulation that NIMASA implements in Nigeria.
Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Bashir Jamoh, while lauding the Nigerian Navy for being proactive in its operations said: “Let me use this opportunity to state that NIMASA and the Nigerian Navy are partners in progress, because without synergy we cannot realise our mandates. We will continue to work closely with the Nigerian Navy to strengthen the existing ties to ensure we keep our maritime environment safe and secured.”
Also speaking, the District Surveyor, Central Zone, NIMASA, Engr. Joshua Oyadiran, who received the vessel on behalf of the Agency, assured that investigations would be carried out in line with the mandate of the Agency.
