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Gulf of Guinea pirate kidnappings hit record in 2020

Published 13/01/2021, 14:36

By Libby George
LAGOS, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Kidnappings by pirates in the Gulf
of Guinea hit a record in 2020, with well-armed and violent
gangs defying regional navies and marauding further out to sea,
a report from the International Maritime Bureau said on
Wednesday.
Pirates in the West African region kidnapped 130 seafarers
in 22 separate incidents, accounting for all but five of those
seized worldwide last year. The previous record, in 2019, was
121.
The IMB's annual piracy report said that overall armed
robbery and piracy incidents rose to 195 last year, up from 162
in 2019, an increase it attributed to attacks in the Gulf of
Guinea and armed robbery in the Singapore Straits.
"The latest statistics confirm the increased capabilities of
pirates in the Gulf of Guinea with more and more attacks taking
place further from the coast," said IMB director Michael
Howlett.
"Despite prompt action by navies in the region, there
remains an urgent need to address this crime," he added.
The Gulf covers 2.3 million sq km (888,000 sq m) and borders
more than a dozen countries, but experts say most of the pirates
operate out of Nigeria's delta region.
Though the region produces most of the oil from Nigeria,
Africa's largest crude exporter, its economy is underdeveloped
and there are limited jobs for local people.

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