IMB Says; Pirates Pose Complex, Increasing Threat To West African Shipping

Armed hijackers pose a growing threat off Nigeria's oil-rich coast, where commercial ships do not enjoy the protection of naval security, so syas the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).
Pirate attacks on ships around Nigeria rose to 11 incidents in the first quarter versus 10 in the same period last year, watchdog, IMB said last week.
Naval security has dramatically reduced piracy on the coast of Somalia on the other side of Africa.
The Gulf of Guinea region, which includes Nigeria, is an increasingly important source of oil, cocoa and metals for world markets, although international navies are not actively engaged in counter-piracy missions in the region at present.
Unlike waters off Somalia and the Horn of Africa, where ships can transit past at high speed with armed guards on board, many vessels are forced to anchor off Nigeria with little security in the way of protection, making them a soft target for criminals.
“The Gulf of Guinea represents an area of concern,’’ the IMB said in its latest report.
“Nigeria accounted for 11 incidents in the region. Guns were reported in at least nine of these attacks,’’ said the

IMB, monitoring global piracy since 1991.
In the overall Gulf of Guinea, 15 incidents were recorded in the first quarter versus 19 in the same period last year, although those in 2012 had included single attacks in Benin and the Democratic Republic of Congo, IMB data

showed.
“The Gulf of Guinea presents the most complex maritime security environment for commercial vessels today, due to the range of attacks from smash and grab robberies to hijackings and abductions,’’ said Rory Lamrock, intelligence analyst with security firm AKE.