The International Maritime Bureau has said that pirates abducted 130 seafarers and attacked 84 ships in the Gulf of Guinea in 2020.
Organisers of the second International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference disclosed this to newsmen yesterday.
According to the bureau, there was nearly 50 per cent increase in kidnapping for ransom between 2018 and 2019, and about 10 per cent increase between 2019 and 2020.
IMB said “the region accounts for over 95 per cent of all kidnappings for ransom at sea,” noting that the Coronavirus Disease brought about increased economic hardship resulting in emboldened reliance on illicit, yet lucrative, activities.
“The Gulf of Guinea is a vast and diverse region stretching from Senegal to Angola, covering 6,000 kilometres of coastline. It is an important shipping zone transporting oil and gas, as well as goods to and from central and southern Africa. Around 1,500 fishing vessels, tankers and cargo ships navigate its waters at any given day.
“Piracy, kidnapping of seafarers, illegal fishing, smuggling and trafficking, as well as transnational organised crime pose a major threat to maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and ultimately to the economic development of the entire region,” the bureau stated.
