IMB reported two piracy incident in Brass, Nigeria, against a product tanker and a bulk carrier, on 24 and 25 January respectively. In both incidents the pirates fired upon the vessels, but due to hardening measures and armed guards, the pirates moved away.
The first incident took place on 24 January, off Brass, Nigeria, when a product tanker was fired upon while underway.
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After that, the general alarm raised, while non-essential crews mustered in citadel, with the vessel performing evasive manoeuvres. Because of the hardening measures, the pirates moved away and the incident reported to the Nigerian Navy.
In the second incident, a day later, again off Brass, Nigeria, around five to seven armed pirates in a skiff chased and fired upon a bulk carrier while it was underway.
Again the general alarm raised, deck lights switched on, and the ship increased its speed increased, while the crew gathered in citadel.
Armed guards onboard the vessel were able to repel the attempted attack.
IMB reported that attacks in waters between the Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo more than doubled in 2018, accounting for all six hijackings worldwide, 13 of the 18 ships fired upon, 130 of the 141 hostages taken globally, and 78 of 83 seafarers kidnapped for ransom.
Additionally, the region saw a significant new spike in violence in the last quarter of 2018. Vessels have been boarded by pirates well outside territorial waters, with crew kidnapped and taken into Nigeria where they are held for ransom.
In the last three months of 2018, 41 kidnappings were recorded in waters off Nigeria alone:
On 27 October 2018, 11 crew were kidnapped from a container vessel 70 nautical miles off Bonny Island, Nigeria. Two days later, Nigerian pirates in a speedboat hijacked a tanker underway 100 nautical miles off Point Noire, Congo. Eight of the 18 crew were kidnapped.
