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| Nigeria court fines pirates for seizing ship in Gulf of Guinea | Nigeria court fines pirates for seizing ship in Gulf of Guinea |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A court in Nigeria has fined three men $52,000 (£40,000) each for hijacking a ship in March and securing a ransom of $200,000 for the release of its crew. | A court in Nigeria has fined three men $52,000 (£40,000) each for hijacking a ship in March and securing a ransom of $200,000 for the release of its crew. |
| These are the first convictions in the West African state since a new anti-piracy law came into force last year. | These are the first convictions in the West African state since a new anti-piracy law came into force last year. |
| Nigeria has been under pressure from the shipping industry to curb piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. | Nigeria has been under pressure from the shipping industry to curb piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. |
| It accounts for more than 80% of maritime kidnappings globally, the International Maritime Bureau says. | It accounts for more than 80% of maritime kidnappings globally, the International Maritime Bureau says. |
| The three, who are believed to include two Nigerians and a foreign national, pleaded guilty to two counts of piracy during their trial in the High Court in the oil hub of Port Harcourt. | The three, who are believed to include two Nigerians and a foreign national, pleaded guilty to two counts of piracy during their trial in the High Court in the oil hub of Port Harcourt. |
| The director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Bashir Jamoh, welcomed the verdict. | The director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Bashir Jamoh, welcomed the verdict. |
| "This will serve as a deterrent to other criminal elements who are still engaged in the nefarious activities on our waterways," he said. | "This will serve as a deterrent to other criminal elements who are still engaged in the nefarious activities on our waterways," he said. |
| Asked whether financial penalties alone were enough of a deterrent, he told the BBC: | Asked whether financial penalties alone were enough of a deterrent, he told the BBC: |
| "Absolutely - now we have a legal instrument to prosecute effectively and put the pirates out of business legally speaking." | "Absolutely - now we have a legal instrument to prosecute effectively and put the pirates out of business legally speaking." |
| The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) also welcomed the men's conviction. | |
| "It is the deterrent which was lacking," IMB spokesman Cyrus Moody told the BBC. | |
| Another six men pleaded not guilty and their trial continues. | Another six men pleaded not guilty and their trial continues. |
| They are accused of being part of a gang that seized a vessel off Equatorial Guinea's coast in March. | They are accused of being part of a gang that seized a vessel off Equatorial Guinea's coast in March. |
| They are alleged to have demanded a $2m ransom for the crew's release, but were paid $200,000. | They are alleged to have demanded a $2m ransom for the crew's release, but were paid $200,000. |
| The Nigerian navy arrested the men. | The Nigerian navy arrested the men. |
| Almost 50 crew were kidnapped in the Gulf of Guinea in the first half of this year, compared with 27 last year, according to the IMB. |