Complete 20 page APA formatted essay: Maritime Piracy in Nigeria: Its Causes and Lack of Control.Download file to see previous pages... Of particular concern is the prevalence of piracy in the Niger D

Complete 20 page APA formatted essay: Maritime Piracy in Nigeria: Its Causes and Lack of Control.

Of particular concern is the prevalence of piracy in the Niger Delta, which is decidedly symbolic of the underlying social, political and economic struggles influencing piracy and other forms of anti-social behaviour in Nigeria. This research study concludes that piracy along Nigeria’s coast is a result of economic, social and political marginalization. It is also concluded that in general, piracy occurs so frequently in Nigeria’s coastal waters because there is a lack of shared information relative to incidents of robbery at sea and a general lack of concern for economic value of Nigeria’s coastal waters. Maritime piracy in Nigeria is also a result of a general lack of knowledge relative to the maritime paradigm, a lack of competence relative to providing early warnings and a lack of patrol capabilities. Abbreviations ICC: International Chamber of Commerce IMB: International Maritime Bureau also referred to as the International Maritime Organization NIMASA: Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency PRC: Piracy Reporting Centre UNCLOS: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea UNODC: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Contents Abstract 2 Abbreviations 3 Contents 4 Chapter One/Introduction 5 Introduction/Overview 5 Important Definitions 7 Piracy 7 Armed Robbery 8 Chapter Two 10 Piracy in Nigeria: Trends and Causes 10 Chapter Three 15 Regulation of Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Nigeria 15 Chapter Four 18 International Responses to Nigeria’s Piracy Problems 18 Chapter Five 26 Conclusion and Recommendations 26 Conclusion 26 Recommendations 28 Bibliography 29 Chapter One/Introduction Introduction/Overview In 2010, the ICC International Maritime Bureau reported that there were approximately 39 piracy attacks near West Africa’s coast with 19 incidents occurring off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria.5 Altogether, 13 ships were boarded and four “were fired upon”.6 In its most recent report, the ICC International Maritime Bureau reports that piracy around Nigeria is concentrated off the coast of Lagos. For most part pirates frequently use violence and are known to attack and rob vessels and kidnap their crews. Moreover, the ICC International Maritime Bureau warns that: Generally all waters in Nigeria remain risky. Vessels are advised to be vigilant as many attacks may have gone unreported.7 Although piracy has been on the increase over the last four years,8 it is not new to the international community and certainly not new to the coast of Nigeria. For example in 1979, the MV Lindinga Ivory, a Danish cargo vessel, was attacked three miles off Lagos. During the attack, the attackers murdered the master and threw his body into the sea and injured the entire crew while taking the ship’s cargo.9 Commentators reported that attacks in the Niger Delta in particular from 2006 and 2009 were politically motivated as they were conducted by militants dissatisfied with “political marginalisation and the lack of economic opportunity”.10 One attack included a raid conducted by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta.