The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has called for increased collaboration and action to tackle an escalation in the number and severity of attacks in the Gulf of Guinea region, which threatens the lives and well-being of seafarers and the safety of shipping. Keep Reading
Africa has emerged as a maritime terrorism hotspot, presenting a tremendous obstacle to the development of its blue economy. Seafarers have borne the brunt of unsafe waterways as pirates increasingly target ships. Keep Reading
The 97 incidents of piracy and armed robbery included 95 actual incidents and 2 attempted incidents. This represents an increase of 17% in the total number of incidents and a 32% increase in actual incidents, compared to 2019. Keep Reading
Incidents included three hijacked vessels, 11 vessels fired upon, 20 attempted attacks, and 161 vessels boarded. The rise is attributed to an increase of piracy and armed robbery reported within the Gulf of Guinea as well as increased armed robbery activity in the Singapore Straits. 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
A Chinese navy fleet conducted an escort mission drill through the disputed Spratly Islands chain in the South China Sea after completing an anti-piracy operation in the Gulf of Aden, off Somalia. Keep Reading
The first quarter of 2020 saw a spike in piracy around the world, with 47 attacks compared to 38 for the same period last year, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). 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
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
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
Kidnappings and killings have targeted cruisers and fisherman and the threat is expected to grow. Keep Reading
Of the six armed robberies of ships reported, five incidents occurred on board ships at anchor/berth and one incident on board ship while underway. Keep Reading
The IMB continues to encourage all masters and crew members to be aware of these risks and report all incidents to the 24-hour manned PRC. Keep Reading
The MV GLARUS, owned by ALLISON Shipping, was hijacked off Bonny Island in Rivers State; NIMASA vowed they will be found and released unconditionally. Keep Reading
There's been a 13 percent drop in the use of privately contracted armed security personnel in the Horn of Africa. Keep Reading
Worldwide in the first three months of 2018, 100 crew were taken hostage and 14 kidnapped from their vessels. A total of 39 vessels were boarded, 11 fired upon and four vessels hijacked. IMB received a further 12 reports of attempted attacks. Keep Reading
The Gulf of Guinea "remained the global hotspot for offshore kidnapping, but there were fluctuations in the pattern of the threat in the region," report finds. Keep Reading
The objective of this year's conference was for multi-national leaders to actively communicate about challenges, solutions and, ultimately, the way forward in maritime strategy. Keep Reading
Increasing recognition of the importance of the maritime arena and how it is globally interconnected helps build capacity. Keep Reading
Threats of terrorism, narcotics and human trafficking, illegal migration, arms smuggling and even navy-to-navy combat a "real concern," says former German Navy commander. Keep Reading