Nigeria: 10 Pirates Jailed Under New Law

10 pirates were sentenced to 12 years each by a court in Nigeria on Friday. The jail time followed the hijacking of the Chinese merchant ship FV Hailufeng II in 2020. They were each fined 250 000 naira, or $610, as well.

All the pirates convicted of the hijacking were Nigerian nationals. The Federal High Court in Lagos said the sentences were intended as a deterrent to others.

The BBC reports that the Nigerian navy had rescued 18 crew members from the Chinese vessel in May 2020. The 10 pirates were arrested in the same operation.

The International Maritime Bureau said that 130 out of 135 cases of all maritime kidnappings last year took place in the Gulf of Guinea, which runs from Senegal to Angola. This year alone has witnessed 16 acts of piracy in the gulf.

The BBC reports that the trial was the second such under a new anti-piracy law. The new law, adopted in 2019, states that pirates are ‘economic saboteurs’, working against the country.

Umm Muhammed Umar

The Man Who Refused to Plead Guilty: A Memoir of Faith, Injustice and Freedom

Annisa Essack | kzn@radioislam.org.za 16 July 2026 | 13:00 CAT The years following the September 11 attacks reshaped the lives of countless people around the world. Amid the fear, suspicion and the sweeping 'War on Terror', many found themselves caught in a justice...

The Accidental Scientist: Professor Glenda Gray

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 14 July 2026 3-minute read One of South Africa’s most trusted voices during the COVID 19 pandemic in assisting the public to understand the rapidly evolving global health crisis, Professor Glenda Gray has been elected a Fellow...

The Africa Report

14 July 2026 | 12:35 CAT 3-minute read Sudan war deepens as drone attacks and crisis intensify Escalating drone attacks in El Obeid As the civil war continues to tear through Sudan, the country is facing an escalating humanitarian and military crisis, including...

Dialling Up The Pressure

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 09 July 2026 2-minute read The ‘biggest Anti-Crime March’ is being organised in the Eastern Cape for tomorrow, 10 July 2026. Provincial Chairperson for the Eastern Cape, Yusuf Cassim said that with this region being both the...

Middle East Report

10 July 2026 | 10:20 CAT 4-minute read Trump leaves narrow path for US-Iran diplomacy On Wednesday, President Donald Trump effectively tore up the US-Iran ceasefire and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by declaring the interim accord "over" and revoking Iranian...

The Effect Of Marches On Markets

Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za 07 July 2026 2-minute read The June 30th deadline has come and gone, marches and protests have taken place across South Africa, many undocumented migrants have left while many still remain. With March and March indicating that...