On May 2, 2024, the Multinational Maritime Co-ordination Center Zone D issued an alert for the search and possible arrest of MV BLU-SHARK (IMO number 8767783), which had allegedly escaped from Port Gentil, Gabon, without obtaining necessary customs clearance documents.
Acting on the alert, the Nigerian Navy (NN) utilized its Maritime Domain Awareness facilities to vector Nigerian Navy Ship OSE (NNS OSE) to intercept and arrest the vessel. NNS OSE successfully apprehended MV BLU-SHARK on May 6, 2024, at 1152 hours, at coordinates Latitude 040 49 929’E, Longitude 008017 602’E, off Calabar waters.
This arrest is part of the regional collaborative efforts under the Yaoundé Code of Conduct on Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea, and aligns with the Chief of Naval Staff’s strategic goal of ensuring a safe and secure maritime environment to enhance the Nation’s Blue Economy.
The NN will conduct preliminary investigations to verify the allegations and handle the vessel accordingly, in line with the Yaoundé Code of Conduct. The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, commends the officers and ratings of NNS OSE for their professionalism in apprehending the fleeing vessel and reiterates the Navy’s commitment to collaborating with neighboring countries to combat transnational maritime crimes in the region.”
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