Nigeria still high risk
PMSC notes increase in crew kidnappings.
Kidnappings Accelerate in the Gulf of Guinea
According to security firm EOS Risk Group, Nigerian pirates have kidnapped 35 seafarers from vessels in the Gulf of Guinea so far this year. From January through June 2018, EOS recorded 34 Nigerian pirate attacks on merchant and fishing vessels in the Gulf of Guinea. These attacks resulted in the kidnap of 35 seafarers for ransom and the hijacking of several vessels.
“Most concerning this year has been the resurgence of ‘petro-piracy,’ involving the hijacking of tankers for oil theft,” said Jake Longworth, senior intelligence analyst at EOS Risk. “The return of petro-piracy has been accompanied by an associated increase in the geographical reach of Nigerian pirate gangs, leading to attacks in the waters of Benin and Ghana.”
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Source: maritime-executive.com