On high alert in west Africa

As attacks by pirates become more frequent off the coast of west Africa, Wallem discusses ways to ensure the safety of seafarers

On 3 December 2019, 10 pirates armed with automatic rifles, guns, knives and axes boarded a tanker underway in Nigerian territorial waters. They quickly rounded up 19 crew members. Seven were able to evade capture and later managed to sail the tanker out of danger. However, the kidnapped crew members were held for almost three weeks until released by their captors four days before Christmas.