Kidnap-for-ransom rises as maritime crime of choice in Gulf of Guinea


Gregory Clough, of Oceans Beyond Piracy, warns of the risks of operating in the Gulf of Guinea


On 11 February 2016 MT Maximus was attacked by pirates off the coast of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The vessel was hijacked and sailed toward Nigeria by the pirates, who were hoping to take possession of its 4,700 tons of diesel fuel to sell on the black market. Regional and international navies cooperated to pursue the vessel to the waters near Sao Tome & Principe, where the Nigerian Navy engaged in a gun battle with the pirates resulting in the death of one pirate and the apprehension of six others. This incident was an important demonstration of the increased commitment of many countries in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) to improve their maritime law enforcement capacity, and to combat piracy and armed robbery in the region.