By Godwin Oritse, with agency reports

WITH over 20 reported attacks on vessels, Nigeria remained a piracy hotspot for pirates and sea robbers within the first nine months of this year.

The International Maritime Bureau, IMB, in its latest piracy report released, Tuesday, stated that 16 of the 20 attacks occurred off the coast of Brass, Bonny and Bayelsa.

IMB said guns were used in 18 of the incidents and vessels were underway in 17 of the 20 reported attacks.

IMB further stated that 39 of the 49 crew members kidnapped globally occurred off Nigerian waters in seven separate incidents.

Other crew kidnappings in 2017 have been reported 60 nautical miles off the coast of Nigeria.

According to  Pottengal Mukundan, Director of IMB, “in general, all waters in and off Nigeria remain risky, despite intervention in some cases by the Nigerian Navy. We advise vessels to be vigilant. The number of attacks in the Gulf of Guinea could be even higher than our figures as many incidents continue to be unreported.”

According to IMB, a total of 121 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were reported globally in the first nine months of 2017.

In total, 92 vessels were boarded, 13 were fired upon, there were 11 attempted attacks and five vessels were hijacked in the first nine months of 2017.

The flagship global report notes that, while piracy rates were down compared to the same period in 2016, there is continuing concern over attacks in the Gulf of Guinea and in South East Asia.

The increase in attacks off the coast of Venezuela and other security incidents against vessels off Libya – including an attempted boarding in the last quarter – highlights the need for vigilance in other areas.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/10/nigeria-remains-top-global-piracy-hotspot-imb/

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Nigeria always comes first in anything bad

The eastern naval command needs to do better to combat these militants. If all the major cases are in there domain.

Blue3k:
The eastern naval command needs to do better to combat these militants. If all the major cases are in there domain.

The aforementioned are in the Southern part of the country, and again, there's difference between militants and pirates.

Since I heard that some DSS officials on going to arrest someone ended up robbing the guy's home, I stopped taking any Government Agency seriously. Some of these people you're calling on to act could be sponsoring these pirates.

Benita27:
The aforementioned are in the Southern part of the country, and again, there's difference between militants and pirates.

Since I heard that some DSS officials on going to arrest someone ended up robbing the guy's home, I stopped taking any Government Agency seriously. Some of these people you're calling on to act could be sponsoring these pirates.

There's a difference between the two crimes. I'm pretty sure it's the same group of individuals committing the crimes. It's true politicians at state and federal level are likely funding these guys but doesn't change fact it's their responsibility to solve it.

Blue3k:
The eastern naval command needs to do better to combat these militants. If all the major cases are in there domain.

The military itself needs to sit up. Most attacks have always been in that axes either way. So its a matter of allocating whatever resources they have toward the problem. Let's face it. The oil areas have too many lucrative rackets underway, that one couldn't say whether the ppl on whom we are reliant, aren't already compromised.

Blue3k:


There's a difference between the two crimes. I'm pretty sure it's the same group of individuals committing the crimes. It's true politicians at state and federal level are likely funding these guys but doesn't change fact it's their responsibility to solve it.

I think the Bayelsa waterways is the same one that links the Bonny sea and major piracy crimes are committed on the same route. These Naval guys won't say they don't have a idea of what has been going on in the first nine months of this year as reported by IMB. They'd better seat up 'cause the flagship is a slap to their faces.