The Russian embassy in Nigeria is confirming the abduction of two seafarers in the latest pirate attack in the Gulf of Guinea. This incident comes a little more than a month after the Russian embassy was successful in liberating seven other sailors that were also abducted in the same area. Keep Reading
Violent attacks against ships and their crews have risen globally in 2020, with 98 incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the first half of 2020, up from 78 in 2019. Keep Reading
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has welcomed the latest initiatives to address the serious issue of piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea, including a joint meeting between the government of Nigeria and representatives from organizations representing the oil and shipping industries. Keep Reading
The Nigerian Navy has reported that it rescued 18 crew members on board a Chinese vessel, MV HAILUFANG II, from a piracy attack. The crew members were Chinese, Ghanaians and Ivoirians. Keep Reading
47 attacks were reported in the first three months of 2020, up from 38 in the same period last year. The Gulf of Guinea remains the world’s piracy hotspot. Keep Reading
The vessels, DB Lagos and DB Abuja, which arrived the country recently are equipped with sophisticated intelligence gathering capability for timely detection and response to illegal activities in the maritime domain. Keep Reading
The attacks are often conducted by criminal groups whose infrastructure is based in the Niger Delta region. Here, the groups have a large number of camps and members in remote areas where hostages are held during negotiation. Keep Reading
Starting in January 2020, the United States began its one-year secretariat of the G7++ Friends of Gulf of Guinea Group, with Gabon serving as co-secretariat. Keep Reading
In the Gulf of Guinea, 64 crew members were kidnapped across six separate incidents in the last quarter of 2019 alone. As well as all vessel hijackings in 2019, the region also accounted 10 out of 11 cases where vessels came under fire. Keep Reading
At least two piracy groups working in the Gulf of Guinea are responsible for the recent spate of attacks on tankers and kidnapping of crew, research from maritime security firm Dryad Global concludes. Keep Reading
On December 15, around six heavily armed pirates boarded a product tanker underway approximately 118nm of Cotonou, Benin, kidnapping 20 seafarers and destroying some equipment on board. Keep Reading
Pirates boarded a fully loaded supertanker off the coast of Nigeria, an act that is sure to ring alarm bells for insurers about the risk of collecting oil from Africa’s biggest producer. Keep Reading
Pirates operating in the Gulf of Guinea have kidnapped a total of 13 people on two European-flagged ships in the last three days. Keep Reading
Lotte Taylor of the EU Commission noted that maritime insecurity raises costs, hampers trade, reduces growth and raises the level of poverty. Keep Reading
The session further recommended that countries to improve domain awareness and improve in sharing of intelligence amongst stakeholders. Keep Reading
They also advised that Nigerian government should build peace and provide social amenities in the Niger Delta region for peace in the GoG region. Keep Reading
The conference called for collaboration among the navies, coast guards, and maritime authorities of countries in the Gulf of Guinea. Keep Reading
In total, 73% of all kidnappings at sea, and 92% of hostage-takings, took place in the Gulf of Guinea. Armed pirates in these high-risk waters kidnapped 27 crew members in the first half of 2019, and 25 in the same period in 2018. Two chemical tankers were hijacked, as well as a tug that was then used in another attack. Keep Reading
A high-level meeting on piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea has shone the spotlight on the need for urgent action to ensure the safety and security of seafarers transiting the region. Keep Reading
International maritime crime is becoming “increasingly sophisticated” as criminal groups exploit jurisdiction and enforcement challenges on the high seas and pose “immediate danger to people’s lives and safety”, the UN anti-drugs and crime chief warned the Security Council on January 5. Keep Reading