Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami has advocated stiffer penalty for maritime offenders.
He said that the judiciary wields the ultimate baton of sanctions over persons who are prosecuted for such offences.
Addressing judges during the 15th international maritime seminar for judges in Abuja, he said the continued focus of government on non-oil sector had made maritime sector to play a significant role in the nation’s economy.
He called for synergy between regulatory and security agencies to ensure a safe and predictable maritime landscape, adding that if those agencies played their roles, the nation would survive economically.
According to him, government was aware of daunting challenge of insecurity on the nation’s waterways and particularly its international dimension.
“The Nigerian maritime space continues to play a significant role in the economic development of Nigeria and in the daily welfare of its people.
“In light of our reliance on the oil and gas industry as well as the increasing focus on non-oil exports which are all activities which require a safe and predictable maritime landscape, all agencies and institutions charged with diverse facets of responsibility for maintaining the sanctity of our national maritime space must play their roles diligently to ensure our national survival,” he stated.
The Minister identified piracy within the Nigerian shores and in the Gulf of Guinea as well as oil theft and bunkering as daunting challenges that must be tackled through synergy between the regulatory and security agencies.
He urged judges within the West African sub-region to improve on the litigation turn around time in maritime disputes to avoid loss of resources by parties to the disputes.
The seminar was organised by the Nigerian Shippers Council, in conjunction with the National Judicial Institute, with judges drawn from Nigeria and countries within the West African sub-region.
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