Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Dr Bashir Jamoh, has given assurances that two special mission aircrafts in the Deep Blue Project fleet of the agency will be deployed to fight oil theft and protect the nation’s economy.
Speaking at the recently held 16th edition of the Maritime Seminar for Judges organised by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Jamoh described oil theft, pipeline vandalism and illegal refining as unlawful activities capable of threatening the economic and environmental well-being of the country.
He said the aircrafts from the mobile assets of the deep blue project, will support existing platforms being deployed by other security agencies, which NIMASA has subsisting Memorandum of Understanding with.
Jamoh explained that the aircrafts would assist in patrolling oil facilities, installations and other assets to observe suspicious human and vessel movements in and around the facilities
The NIMASA DG while restating the agency’s commitment to a crime free and secure maritime domain, reminded participants at the seminar of President Muhammadu Buhari’s interest in rebuilding stakeholders and investors’ confidence in the country’s maritime sector.
According to him, approval of the President for procurement of the assets, his coming to commission them in Lagos and their deployment for security duties have contributed immensely to the fight against maritime crimes.
