Maritime lawyers have urged the Federal Government to encourage African countries within the Gulf of Guinea to set up deep blue projects as a way of intensifying the fight against maritime crimes.
The lawyers, who spoke separately with The PUNCH, commended the efforts of the Nigerian Navy in the fight against piracy and other maritime crimes.
The Vice President of the Maritime Arbitrators Association of Nigeria, Jean-Chiazor Anishere, advised the government to adopt the use of artificial intelligence to fast-track the process and beat the pirates to their crimes.
She said there was a need to intensify the deep blue sea project headed by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.
“The Federal Government through NIMASA should continue with collaboration not only among the Nigerian Navy, Air Force, and Marine Police, but also ensure that other African Countries within the Gulf of Guinea are participatory in the deep blue project, by encouraging them to set up similar projects in their countries.
“They should know that a united and inclusive approach is sine qua non to a collaborative success in curbing or suppressing piracy in the Gulf of Guinea,” she declared.
She noted that the country would lose unquantifiable economic resources if it fails to collaborate with neighbouring countries.
Also speaking, a maritime lawyer, Emmanuel Nwagbara, called for more transparency in dealing with maritime crimes.
“A lot of people provided advice, including myself, and we thought that there were better ways of dealing with such issues. And one of them was that when the maritime crimes were committed it was important to get to the root of it, not just the people that were caught but people who were behind the people that were caught,” he enunciated.
