Merchant Vessels Asked Not To Have Armed Guards On Board Vessels against Pirates

Merchants are facing the consequences of the tiff between the numerous maritime agencies operating on the Nigerian fronts. They have now been strictly asked not to have any armed guards on their ships. In case their vessels are found with guards, they will be arrested, irrespective of whether they were deployed via private contractors or the military.

According to Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), any members operating vessels wihtin the Nigerian EEZ waters will have to bear significant liabilities and delays, if they employ armed guards onboard their vessels.  It is only the Nigerian Navy which has supreme authority over the EEZ and the territorial waters, and they have strictly prohibited the presence of armed guards on any merchant ships and vessels.

In several incidents in the past few days, the Navy has arrested Nigerian Marine officers and imposed heavy liabilities on the owners, apart from the delay caused in crossing over the water front. In some of these cases, policemen also opened fire on the Nigerian Naval vessels and killed or injured seafarers believing they were pirates.

The task of providing protection to private shipping is proving to be dismal with many Nigerian Maritime policemen hired for private security, only to be arrested later by the Navy.

The Navy which was given the task to clean up the whole scene, has started exercising its authority. So you may acquire armed security protection by the Nigerian Navy if you’re withi the territorial waters and the EEZ, but this would exclude having armed guards on the vessel.