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4, 606 suspects arrested for maritime crimes – Chief of the Naval Staff
Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, on friday stated that limited community support makes maritime criminals emboldened, knowing that they may not be reported or caught in Nigeria
Despite this, the Naval Chief disclosed that about “4, 606 suspects have been arrested for various maritime crimes between 2015 and 2024” adding that the arrests were carried out “in the communities within the riverine areas”.
Vice Admiral Ogalla stated this while presenting the 3rd Distinguished personality lecture at Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies (IPSS), University of Ibadan on the lecture “Role of the Nigerian Navy in Combatting Maritime Crimes for enhanced Blue Economy in Nigeria”
While saying that the Navy has demonstrated a strong commitment to ensuring a secure environment necessary for the development for the blue economy, the Chief of the Naval Staff disclosed that the Navy is already pushing for the power to prosecute offenders in the core areas of its mandates.
According to him, “some community leaders justify the criminal behaviour of these criminals. This complicates maritime law enforcement efforts and poses a significant challenge to maritime security. it also underscores the urgent need for comprehensive, society-wide solutions to address root causes of maritime criminality, which threatens the successful exploitation of Blue economy potentials in Nigeria”
He then called for the establishment of special courts dedicated to maritime crimes to ensure effective and efficient justice delivery, ultimately resulting in better outcomes for law enforcement.
“The speedy prosecution of maritime crimes will improve data collection and analysis which are crucial for policy and legislative formulation in combating maritime crimes, for the development of the blue economy.”
While noting that transportation along the waterways generates approximately $1.2billion, the Naval Chief however noted that the evolving “dynamics of maritime crimes could negatively affect the prospects, hence the need for pragmatic solutions to address the threats”
While listing non-diligent prosecution of maritime crimes as one of the challenges facing the navy in combating maritime crimes, Vice Admiral Ogalla stated that “the Nigerian Navy and other law enforcement agencies have made commendable efforts in arrest and prosecution of maritime offenders. However, inadequacies such as prolonged trial periods are being exploited by criminals.
This has led to protracted litigation and several abandoned vessels across Nigerian Navy Bases. Between 2015 to date, 250 vessels arrested were handed over to prosecuting agencies, yet only 82 have been successfully prosecuted, leaving a balance of 168 still in Nigerian Navy custody In the last six years, the Nigerian Navy has lost a significant number of cases for non-diligent prosecution of maritime suspects by these prosecuting agencies.
Likewise, over N450 million for legal services are provided for these private lawyers at the expense of essential infrastructure for the service to combat the maritime crimes”.
“These waterways provide vital access to 28 of Nigeria’s 36 states and connect 6 neighbouring countries. Nigeria’s maritime domain also has the most fertile hydrocarbon provinces in the world, underscoring its strategic importance”
In its welcome address, the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan Professor Kayode Adebowale represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration, Professor Peter Olapegba stated that “a secure maritime domain is essential for the protection of our territorial integrity, the safeguarding of our economic interests, and the well-being of the millions of Nigerians who depend on the sea for their livelihoods.
As strategic hub for knowledge creation and re-creation in cognate areas of peace, security and humanitarian studies, we are particularly concerned about the rise in maritime threats, including, oil theft, illegal fishing, trafficking of drugs and weapons and piracy in particular. These illicit activities not only undermine our national security but also command potential to stifle economic growth and development along our coasts”
The director, Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies, Professor Ruth Adio-Moses maintained that the significance of “maritime security cannot be overstated, especially for a nation like ours blessed with a vast coastline and abundant maritime resources adding that the Chief of the Naval Staff was invited as part of the ongoing town-gown synergy towards proffering solutions to the myriads of problems facing the maritime space.”
President Bola Tinubu has said that the 2025 budget forecasts that inflation will decline from current 34.6% to 15% next year.
He said this during his presentation of the N47.9 trillion 2025 budget proposal to a joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday.
The President also said that the exchange rate will improve from approximately N1,700 per dollar to N1,500.
According to Tinubu, “this is an ambitious but necessary budget to secure our future.”
“The Budget projects inflation will decline from the current rate of 34.6 per cent to 15 per cent next year, while the exchange rate will improve from approximately 1,700 naira per US dollar to 1,500 naira, and a base crude oil production assumption of 2.06 million barrels per day,”Tinubu said.
He said the budget projections are based upon observations such as reduction of petroleum products importation, increased export of finished petroleum products, bumper harvest driven by enhanced security, reducing reliance on food imports, among others.
Tinubu listed highlights of the budget to include defence and security – N4.91tn, infrastructure – N4.06tn, health – N2.4tn, education – N3.5tn, among others.
Nigerians are grappling with economic hardship following incessant increase in inflation and volatile exchange rate that has seen dollar exchange as high as N1,700 in recent days.
On Monday, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Nigeria’s headline inflation rate rose to 34.60% in November 2024 from 33.88% in October 2024.
The November inflation rate showed an increase of 0.72% points compared to the October 2024 inflation rate, according to NBS’s latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report which measures the rate of change in prices of goods and services.
“On a year-on-year basis, the Headline inflation rate was 6.40% points higher than the rate recorded in November 2023 (28.20%). This shows that the Headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in November 2024 compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., November 2023),” the Bureau said.
Significantly, food inflation rate in November 2024 was 39.93% on a year-on-year basis, 7.08% points higher than the rate recorded in November 2023 (32.84%).
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Oguduokwor Ward in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has formally announced the expulsion of the suspended National Vice Chairman (NVC) of the party in the Southeast, Mr. Ali Odefa from the party.
Ali Odefa was suspended from the party on September 11, 2024 by the Ward Executives of the party for his engagement in various anti party activities. The Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki while ruling on suit NO: FHC/AI/CS/182/2024 further affirmed the suspension on November 29, 2024.
Announcing the expulsion of Mr. Odefa at a well- attended press conference on Wednesday, the Acting Chairman of the PDP Oguduokwor, Hon. Onyedikachi Herbert Ovuta flanked by other Ward Executives stated that the expulsion of the erstwhile NVC follows the recommendation of the Party’s disciplinary committee that affirmed the allegations of anti-party activities leveled.
According to the party chairman, “The expulsion of Chief Ali Odefa follows the report, findings and recommendations of the Ward Disciplinary Committee of the party which is in line with the provisions of the party constitution.”
The party announced that Mr. Ali Odefa by the virtue of his suspension, therefore “ceases to be a member of the party.”
The party’s statement reads in part:
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oguduokowor Ward, Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State hereby announce the expulsion of Chief Ali Odefa, the suspended National Vice Chairman of the PDP, South East Zone from the party which takes immediate effect.
“The expulsion of Chief Ali Odefa follows the report, findings and recommendations of the Ward Disciplinary Committee of the party which is in line with the provisions of the party constitution.
“Recall that Chief Ali Odefa was suspended from the party by the Ward leadership on 11th September 2024.
“Consequent upon the judgement of the Federal High Court Abakaliki in suit number FHC/AI/CS/182/2024 which affirmed the suspension of Chief Ali Odefa, the Disciplinary Committee of PDP Oguduokwor Ward after their sittings on the above subject matter unanimously recommended that Chief Ali Odefa the Suspended PDP National Vice Chairman South East Zone be expelled from the party.
“The Executive Committee of PDP Oguduokwor Ward on 11th December 2024 after receiving the report, findings and recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee of PDP Oguduokwor Ward unanimously approved the expulsion of Chief Ali Odefa from the party which is compliance to section 58(1) and section 59(1) of the PDP constitution.
“Henceforth Chief Ali Odefa, seizes to be a member of our party the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
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