Overview
Ship arrest is a central tool in admiralty law for securing maritime claims. In Nigeria, it is governed by the Admiralty Jurisdiction Act 1991, which allows a claimant to proceed in rem against a vessel before the Federal High Court.
However, a judicial sale has traditionally not carried effect beyond the jurisdiction that ordered it. A vessel sold by court order in one country could still be arrested in another for pre-sale claims - exposing purchasers to fresh proceedings and creating uncertainty for buyers and financiers alike.
The entry into force of the Beijing Convention on the Judicial Sale of Ships on 17 February 2026 addresses this gap by creating a harmonized framework for the cross-border recognition of judicial sales, offering greater certainty to all parties involved in maritime enforcement.
