Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Dele Ezeoba
The
Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Dele Ezeoba, has urged members of
the Nigerian Trawlers Owners Association not to pay ransom to pirates
and kidnappers, who attack their trawlers.
Paying of ransom to the kidnappers, Ezeoba said, would perpetuate the vice in the country.
According to him, the country has a responsibility to adopt the measures to discourage the crime.
The Navy Chief spoke while receiving the
National Executive of the Nigerian Trawlers Owners Association led by
its President, Mr. Joseph Overo, in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said, “The challenges you have
highlighted are common knowledge to all of us. It happens unfortunately
within our maritime space, not because we want it, but because in our
society, we have people who take pride in committing this crime.
“When you pay this ransom, you have
opened a floodgate for the vice to continue. It then becomes business
and a means of livelihood for the abductors.
“I understand the peculiar
circumstances, under which this things happen; I know that in the past
people have been taken hostage, some were so unfortunate to have been
killed, but please it is important that we should as much as possible
try not to encourage these things to continue to happen by quickly
responding to the kidnappers’ requests.”
Pledging to support NITOA, Ezeoba said
the Navy would assist the association if its members could provide
relevant intelligence reports to the service.
Overo, who frowned on the frequency of
attacks on their trawlers by pirates and kidnappers, said the vice was
fast killing the fishing industry in the country.
He, therefore, appealed to the Navy for intervention.
The association, which he said had 250
vessels 10 years ago, currently has only 122 vessels following the
frequent attacks on its members.
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