A University don, Professor Charles Ukeje of the International Relation department of the Obafemi Awolowo University has said that sea robbers now use explosives to launch attack on vessels.
Disclosing this at a recently concluded maritime security and safety symposium organized by a firm in Lagos, Ukeje said that there have been an increase in the number and sophistication in weaponry used by pirates, some of which includes explosives.
A University don, Professor Charles Ukeje of the International Relation department of the Obafemi Awolowo University has said that sea robbers now use explosives to launch attack on vessels.
Disclosing this at a recently concluded maritime security and safety symposium organized by a firm in Lagos, Ukeje said that there have been an increase in the number and sophistication in weaponry used by pirates, some of which includes explosives.
Ukeje’s paper titled “Economic implications of piracy and other crimes to the maritime industry and the Nigerian economy’ also saw the professor chronicling the characteristics of pirates noting that the upsurge in pirate activities has also increased maritime insecurity.
Enumerating figures of world pirate attacks, Ukeje said that except for 2007 and 2013, the number of pirate attacks on African waters exceeded the global figures, in all cases, by more than double.
He explained that 263 cases was recorded in 2007, while 293 cases were recorded against 2008, 410 attacks for 2009, 445 cases for 2010, 439 cases for 2011, 297 cases against 2102 and 264 cases against 2013 respectively.
While Pirate attacks for the African continent stood at 120 cases in 2007, 189 cases in 2008, 256 cases in 2009, 259 cases 2010, 293 attacks in 2011, 259 cases in 2012 and 89 cases in 2013 respectively.
According to the University don, Africa’s piracy hotspots includes Somalia, Nigeria, Benin Republic and Togo going by the number of attacks and the intensity of piracy activities.
He further explained that before now, 71% of all piracy incidents occurred in local waters, especially within 12 nautical miles of the coast while fewer than 8 per cent occurred at sea.
He added that since 2010, only 37% and 44.3% of all piracy incidents occurred in local waters and at sea, respectively.
Ukeje noted that pirates were used to launching their attacks at night adding that these criminal now strike during the day.
He also disclosed that pirates also take target vessel characteristics into consideration before they launch attack.
He said merchant vessels have suffered more attack than any other vessel type adding that merchant cargo vessels accounted for 57.5% of attacks, tankers/ oil related ships recorded 26.1%, fishing vessels , 5.7%, tugs/barges, 4.4%, private ships 3.6%, and passenger vessels 0.9% respectively.
Prof Ukeje said Piracy has become an organized network of criminals some of which includes sponsors/financiers, who enable state officials, operation planners, boat handlers, land-based support infrastructure, boat captains and crew members, ship owners, insurance, law enforcement agencies, governments to participate in the network.
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