Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) at the weekend launched its satellite surveillance system, which, in conjunction with the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force, successfully rescued a Ghanaian fishing vessel from suspected hijackers on Thursday last week.
The Ghanaian registered vessel, according to a press release issued by NIMASA, was said to have been hijacked off the coast of Ghana and sailed across Togo and Benin Republic to Nigerian waters when the Embassy of the Republic of Korea reportedly contacted NIMASA to help in its rescue.
“The Ghanaian Fisheries Authority and the operators of the fishing vessel joined in requesting NIMASA to bring the incident to a logical conclusion.
“In a swift operation coordinated by Capt. Warredi Enisuoh, NIMASA’s Director of Shipping Development, the Agency’s newly built satellite surveillance system with cloud penetrating radar capabilities was brought to bear and the incident was resolved within six hours.
“NIMASA team, working with the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force, which used air and sea patrols, quickly put up a response and reception plan which led to the hijackers abandoning their mission and fleeing,” NIMASA stated in the press release signed by its image maker, Isichei Osamgbi.