shippingposition
  • Home
  • News
  • Editorial
    • Vox Pop
  • Maritime safety
  • Oil and Gas
  • Personality
  • Health
No Result
View All Result
shippingposition

Home » IMB Says West Africa Seas Remain World’s Most Dangerous For Piracy

IMB Says West Africa Seas Remain World’s Most Dangerous For Piracy

by Joshua
July 20, 2020
in Uncategorized

CAPTION: File photo taken on February 22, 2016 shows a rescued Panama-flagged Maximus vessel at the Naval dock yard in Lagos, Nigeria. After pirates hijacked the vessel, navies from the United States, Ghana, Togo and Nigeria tracked the tanker through waters off five countries before Nigerian naval forces stormed aboard on Saturday Feb. 20, amid a shootout that killed one of the pirates. 

Photo credit: AP Photo
 

 
The seas off-West Africa remain the world’s most dangerous for pirate attacks, with 62 seafarers captured in the Gulf of Guinea so far this year, according to the International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) latest report.

A total of 75 seafarers were taken hostage onboard or kidnapped for ransom worldwide this year to-date, and 62 victims were in the Gulf of Guinea – off the coasts of Nigeria, Guinea, Togo, Benin and Cameroon.

The IMB report reveals 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 of last year.

Two chemical tankers were hijacked, as well as a tug that was then used in another attack. Of nine vessels fired upon worldwide, eight were off the coast of Nigeria.

“But there are some encouraging signs of improvement. IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) reports a welcome and marked decrease in attacks in the Gulf of Guinea for the second quarter of 2019, commending the Nigerian navy for actively responding to reported incidents by dispatching patrol boats,” the IMB report said.

“While recognising that many attacks go unreported, IMB reported 21 incidents around Nigeria so far in 2019, down from 31 in the same period of 2018,” it stated.

Worldwide, the IMB PRC recorded 78 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the first half of 2019, compared with 107 incidents for the same period of 2018. Overall, 57 vessels were boarded successfully, representing 73% of all attacks.

Pirates killed one person, took 38 crew members hostage, and kidnapped a further 37 for ransom.

Elsewhere in Asia in Malaysia, 10 crew were kidnapped from two fishing boats off eastern Sabah in June. Of these, nine crew are reported to have been released. Around Indonesia, 11 incidents reported remain the lowest second quarter figure since 2009 when three incidents were reported.

In South America, a vessel was fired upon in the Guayas River after departing from Guayaquil in Ecuador. IMB said this is the first time an incident involving the firing of weapons has been reported in Ecuador.

Incidents of violent armed theft against ships at anchor have also been reported in Callao in Peru, Jose Terminal in Venezuela and Macapa in Brazil.

“IMB strongly urges all shipmasters and owners to report all actual, attempted and suspected piracy and armed robbery incidents to the IMB PRC globally. This first step in the response chain is vital to ensuring that adequate resources are allocated by authorities to tackle piracy,” the report said.

 


Related Posts

Despite ₦5.17trn Surplus, Dollar Dominates Nigeria-China Trade As Naira-Yuan Swap Struggles

Despite ₦5.17trn Surplus, Dollar Dominates Nigeria-China Trade As Naira-Yuan Swap Struggles

June 30, 2025
Meningitis: Death Toll In Kebbi Hits 56 – Govt 

Meningitis: Death Toll In Kebbi Hits 56 – Govt 

March 24, 2025
Navy Rescues 8 Police Officers,1 Civilian From Boat Accident In Bayelsa

Navy Rescues 8 Police Officers,1 Civilian From Boat Accident In Bayelsa

January 8, 2025
PHOTO NEWS: SIFAX Thanksgiving and Night of Praise 2.0

PHOTO NEWS: SIFAX Group Thanksgiving and Night of Praise 2.0

December 18, 2024

Discussion about this post

Latest News

Vessels Expected At Lagos Ports As At 9th July, 2025

FG Donates 3,500 Life Jackets to Boost Waterways Safety in Ogun State

July 9, 2025

Dangote Commends NPA-Led OSS Committee, Donates Bus to Support Operations

Customs Intercepts ₦654m Worth of Undeclared Foreign Currency at Kano Airport, Hands Over Suspects to EFCC

Vessels Expected At Lagos Ports As At 9th July, 2025

CRFFN Dismisses Viral Court Judgement Reports, Reaffirms Regulatory Mandate over Freight Forwarders

Lagos Govt. Dismantles Illegal Checkpoints Along Badagry Expressway

Nigeria Customs Sensitises International Airline Operators on Currency Declaration

PHOTO NEWS Collaboration For Trade Facilitation

Vessels Expected At Lagos Ports As At 8th July, 2025

Nigerian Exporters Lament as Road Freight to Ghana via Benin, Togo Costs Over ₦10 Million Per Truck  

NIWA Responds to Lagos State’s Call to Halt Sand-Filling Approvals on Waterways 

Shippers’ Council Recovers Over N5.5 Million in Container Deposit Refunds, Demurrage Disputes in Q1

kindly like our Facebook page

Health

Contraceptive Pills Can’t Cause Cervical Cancer – Expert
Health

Contraceptive Pills Can’t Cause Cervical Cancer – Expert

June 30, 2025

Mrs Roseline Akinlabi, Adolescent and Youth Sexual Reproductive Health Desk Officer, Osun Primary Healthcare Board, says contraceptive pills cannot cause...

ONIONS: The Good Old Healing Vegetable

KNOW YOUR BODY PARTS: The Liver

June 16, 2025
ONIONS: The Good Old Healing Vegetable

ONIONS: The Good Old Healing Vegetable

June 16, 2025
Why Prostate Disorder Cases Are Increasing Among Nigerian Men – Experts

Why Prostate Disorder Cases Are Increasing Among Nigerian Men – Experts

June 1, 2025
20m Nigerians Live With Mental Health Issues, Says WHO

20m Nigerians Live With Mental Health Issues, Says WHO

June 1, 2025
Health Facts You Didn’t Know

How Your Habit Affects Fertility

May 19, 2025
Fruits For Raining Season

Fruits For Raining Season

May 19, 2025
See Mental Illness Like Other Treatable Diseases – Says Suicide Survivor

Health Facts You Didn’t Know

May 19, 2025
Alligator Pepper: Benefits, FAQ, Side Effects, & Warning

Alligator Pepper: Benefits, FAQ, Side Effects, & Warning

April 28, 2025
Water And Health: The Relationship That Helps Life

Water And Health: The Relationship That Helps Life

April 28, 2025

© 2021 Shippingposition

Navigate Site

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Coast To Coast
  • Oil and Gas
  • Maritime Education
  • The Terminals
  • Maritime safety

© 2021 Shippingposition