ATTACK IN GULF OF GUINEA ADDS TO REGION’S RECORD PIRACY TOLL

Piracy attacks and kidnappings in the Gulf of Guinea continue to rise with another incident over the weekend. On Saturday, pirates off Nigeria kidnapped 15 sailors from a Turkish container ship and killed one. Since 2019, the Gulf of Guinea has experienced an “unprecedented” rise in the number of multiple crew kidnappings, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). A record 130 crew members were kidnapped in 22 separate incidents in the Gulf of Guinea last year, accounting for over 95% of crew numbers kidnapped globally. There were 195 incidents of piracy and armed robbery worldwide in 2020, up from 162 in 2019, the IMB said in its annual report earlier this month.