Abduction of 12 seafarers underlines high risk of kidnap in Nigerian waters despite falling success rate

Pirates kidnapped 12 crew members from a Swiss cargo vessel in Nigerian waters in the early hours of 22 September. The MV Glarus was transporting wheat from Nigerian commercial capital Lagos to oil hub Port Harcourt when it was attacked 45 nautical miles southwest of Bonny Island. Geneva-based operator Massoel Shipping said pirates had used boarding ladders and cut the razor wire on deck to gain access to the bridge. Reuters reported that seven of the abducted crew members were from the Philippines, while one each of the remaining five was from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Romania, Slovenia, and Ukraine. The incident is the only the second successful kidnapping from a cargo vessel in Nigerian waters this year, after 11 were abducted from the Dutch-flagged general cargo vessel FWN Rapide on 21 April as it approached Port Harcourt. This compares with 11 successful kidnap attempts in Nigerian waters in 2017, involving 63 crew members.

Significance: The latest incident underlines that the threat of kidnap from Niger Delta-based pirate gangs has not diminished despite their much lower success rate in Nigerian territorial waters in 2018. It also emphasises the gangs' capacity to stage major operations, abducting large groups and being able to secure them safely on land while ransom payments are negotiated. The level of attempted boardings for the likely purpose of kidnapping has remained at least as high as in 2017, but the failure rate has been boosted by improved preparedness of targeted vessels in anti-piracy measures, including better surveillance, evasion strategies, and use of onboard guards sourced from the Nigerian security services. The Glarus appears to have lacked armed guards or adequate surveillance, despite operating in Nigerian waters. Criminal gangs seeking significant ransom payments will continue to drive high sea-crime risks, even if not faced with the imperative to fund Niger Delta militancy, which is currently quiescent. A key indicator of reduced kidnap risks would be the wider use of onboard security teams to deter any boarding attempts of cargo vessels.