GULF OF GUINEA 2 – 8 JANUARY 2010 WEEKLY INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY
Nigeria
All times UTC unless otherwise stated
No1 7th of October – A medium sized oil tanker, the Ghanaian flagged AFKO 307, was discovered adrift and on fire in the littoral vicinity of Debunscha and Limbe. It is believed that the vessel subsequently ran aground, but this is unconfirmed. A Red Cross team that responded to the initial discovery reports found no crew on board nor escape craft in the locality.
No2 16th October – At 0300 UTC, an unnamed chemical tanker was robbed by six armed men whilst at anchorage in Lagos. The cargo of oil was stolen.
No3 19th October – At 1400 UTC, the FT Stallion was attacked by a party of gunmen whilst under transit in the Calabar junction in the Mbo area. Having taken the master hostage the group stole cash and valuables before escaping. The attack has been linked to members of the Bakassi Freedom Fighters at Utana Iyatah.
No4 30th October – At 2015 UTC, the chemical tanker MV Mykines was targeted whilst drifting in a Lagos Anchorage. Six pirates armed with guns and knives attacked the vessel in a speedboat. The master of the vessel raised the alarm by activating the SSAS, contacting the Port Authorities and alerting the crew, who then activated the fire hoses to try to prevent the attack. The pirates fired at the bridge windows and accommodation doors and were then able to enter the bridge and detain the crew. After stealing the ship’s cash and the crew’s belongings the pirates fled. This attack occurred 5nm SW and an hour before the attack on the MV Sylvretta (below).
No5 30th October – At 2130 UTC, the bulk carrier MV Sylvretta was attacked within a Lagos Anchorage (06: 08. 10N – 003:27.68E) by nine armed men in a speedboat, who fired on the vessel before boarding. The gang incapacitated the crew, damaged communications equipment (presumably to prevent the alarm being raised) and stole personal property before fleeing with ship. Five crew members have been reported injured; the Nigerian Navy was informed of the attack.
No6 15th November – A group of robbers armed with guns and knives in a speed boat boarded an unknown bulk carrier in a Lagos anchorage (06:12.8N – 003:23.7E) using bamboo sticks with hooks. They fired warning shots, at the crew when they tried to remove the bamboo sticks. Eleven members of the crew were injured when they were hit with cable wires and attacked by the robbers. The group destroyed navigational equipment and stole crew cash and personal property before escaping. The robbers were onboard for more than two hours, when the Lagos port authority was contacted the Bulk carrier was informed that nobody were able to assist.
No7 16th November – Two canoes operated by militants attacked fishing vessels and a local service vessel along the creeks of Bayelsa State and the Calabar channels I in Cross River State. The militants have been identified as of Kulama and Middleton origin. The twenty militants involved in the attack were stated to have been carrying guns and other weapons. The militants first attacked a service boat but were successfully repelled by security personnel they then moved to attack the unarmed fishing vessels instead. The attackers reportedly stole cash and ships property.
No8 18th November – At2330 hrs LT, the supply vessel Adama 6, operated by Century Coy, was attacked in the locality of the Bonny Fairway buoy by a gang of six armed men. A crew member reportedly received a gunshot wound during the attack.
No9 20th November – 0500 LT, A Tug identified as the Ifiyemi came alongside a berthed bulk carrier in Port Harcourt and three individuals armed with knives boarded her. Two duty officers approached them but they were threatened with knives. The men stole two fuel drums from the ship. The crew members escaped and alerted shore security who came and managed to convince the group to return the property by giving them money. The tug came alongside again and using the ship’s crane the drums were taken back onboard.
No10 10th Dec – 0700 UTC – a party of five armed men attacked two fishermen from Amariari village in Finima who were in transit past the village of Beregede village on the Bonny River. The men stole the outboard engine from the vessel before escaping. Further details regarding this incident are unknown at this time.
No11 28th Dec – Unknown UTC, robbers armed with automatic weapons attacked and boarded an anchored general cargo ship at anchor in Lagos. They assaulted and fired at the crew injuring three in the process. The robbers stole crew personal properties and ship’s stores and equipment. The vessel master attempted to contact the local authorities for assistance however these attempts proved to be futile. The IMB PRC received the distress message from the ship and relayed information to the Nigerian authorities requesting assistance for the injured crew. At dawn, agents sent a boat to evacuate the injured crews’ to shore for medical treatment.
No 13 29th Dec – 2010 UTC: Posn: 06:10N – 003:24E, a small motorboat operated by a group of armed robbers fired upon an unidentified vessel at anchorage in Lagos. The vessel enforced anti piracy measures, which prevented the boarding.
No 13 29th Dec – 2116 LT: Posn: 06:17.73N – 003:22.7E, three armed robbers boarded a chemical tanker at anchorage in Lagos and stole crew personal properties and ship’s equipment. The robbers left after two hours.
Benin
All times UTC unless stated
No1 24th November – Pirates attacked a Monrovian flagged oil tanker 18.5 nautical miles (33km) off the Benin coast, Posn: 06:08.1N – 002:40.6E. During the attack, which took place in the early morning, a Ukrainian officer was killed and other crew members sustained minor injuries. One of the pirates was detained by the vessel’s crew and has been subsequently handed over to the authorities.
Guinea
All times UTC unless otherwise stated
No1 6th October – At 0012 UTC, A tanker was fired upon at whilst underway in position 09:15N – 014.01W about 20NM southwest of Conakry. A party of nine men, armed with machine guns, in a speed boat attempted to board the vessel using hooks and ladders. The Master proceeded to activate the DSC alarm and conduct evasive manoeuvres. The armed men opened fire on the vessel and followed for roughly thirty minutes before calling off the attack. The port authority was contacted but no response from officials was received.
No2 11th October – At 2314 UTC, a tanker was robbed whilst drifting in position 09:08.56N – 014:06.06W. A group of armed men in one boat boarded the tanker and stole money before escaping.
No3 21st October – At 1600 UTC, eight pirates in a small, black hulled, speed boat approached a cargo ship underway at 09:13N – 014:12W, 35 nautical miles off Conakry pilot station in Guinea. The Watch keeper aboard sighted the attackers and took evasive measures by increasing speed. As the attack vessel approached, the cargo ship crew noticed that the pirates were armed. Because of the increased speed the pirates were forced to abort the attack. Port control was contacted but no response was received.
No4 18th Dec – At 1800 LT, Pirates armed with machine guns in a speedboat approached and fired upon a chemical tanker drifting in: Posn: 09:17.8N – 014:49.3W. The tanker, increased speed, enforced anti piracy measures, reported to authorities and prevented the pirates from boarding it. No injuries to crew have been reported.
Ghana
All times UTC unless otherwise stated
No1 25th November, a Nigeria flagged oil tanker identified as the African Prince has been intercepted by a joint venture between the Ghanaian air force and navy. The vessel was believed to have been seized in Ghana’s territorial waters within fifteen nautical miles of the boundary. The Nigerian vessel which follows a transit route of Lagos to the Niger Delta and back carries a crew of 28 including Palestinian nationals. The vessel was allegedly hijacked, and the military response was a result of a tip off by a local source identified as an International Marine Intelligence Agency called ‘Personal and the Indemnity Club’. Initial reports indicate that the consignment of fuel aboard the vessel was stolen from the Niger Delta and was to be offloaded in another region, despite the response by the Ghanaian navy the eleven suspected hijackers managed to escape in patrol vessels.
| SURVEILLANCE EFFECTIVNESS | |||||||||
|
VISIBILITY |
GOOD
|
PREDICTED RADAR PERFORM |
MOD
|
NIGHT VISION AID |
POOR |
THERMAL IMAGERS |
MOD
|
AMBIENT LIGHT LEVELS |
GOOD
|
|
MOD |
MOD |
||||||||
|
RH (AVG) |
81% |
SEA CLUTTER |
MOD |
RAIN CLUTTER |
MOD |
CLOUD COVER |
0-60% |
WAVE HEIGHT |
0.9 – 1.1M |
| SOLAR/ LUNAR EVENTS | |||||||
|
Average Sun Rise |
0700 UTC |
Average Sun Set |
1845 UTC |
Average Moon Rise |
2337 UTC |
Average Moon Set |
1100 UTC |
|
Northern Hemisphere Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
Southern Hemisphere Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri |
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| BOARDING FORECAST | |||||||
| WITHIN LIMITS | |||||||
| THREAT ASSESSMENT | |||||||
| PIRACY OFFSHORE | HIGH | TERRORISM | MOD | HUMAN TRAFFICKING | LOW | SMUGGLING | LOW |
| PIRACY IN CREEKS / INSHORE | HIGH | TERRORISM | HIGH | HUMAN TRAFFICKING | LOW | SMUGGLING | LOW |
| MOD | |||||||
|
ACTIVITY AND EVENTS |
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| ACTIVITY ASHORE
24th Nov Pirate attack on the MV Cancale Star in Benin waters, Ukrainian national shot in the altercation. 25th Nov MV African Prince believed to have been hijacked in Nigeria was intercepted by the Ghanaian Navy. 28th Nov A series of violent politically motivated clashes left one dead and more than twenty others with gunshot and machete wounds in Bayelsa state following chairmanship primaries for the PDP in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state. 30th Nov Dynamite placed at a petrol station exploded in the early hours of the morning in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. The attack has been linked to current political disputes involving the owner of the station, Peremobowei Ebebi who is the Deputy State Governor. 1st Dec A military force has been placed in Asaba for the next month, the soldiers are patrolling the streets and maintaining checkpoints at all the entrances to the city in response to a rising crime rate. 1st Dec Military curfew in place at night in Igboho due to earlier clash between two armed gangs. 2nd Dec MV African Prince intercepted in Ghanaian waters on the 25th has been returned to Nigerian authorities. 4th Dec The Manager of the United Bank for Africa in Akwa Ibom was abducted from his residence, since rescued by the police force. 4th Dec Militant protest in Port Harcourt regarding lack of payment. 4th Dec Bank Manager kidnapped in Enugu, since released. 5th Dec Two Edo state officials kidnapped in separate incidents last week have been rescued by men from the local police command. 6th Dec Seven armed men were shot during a gun battle with the police in Ekpoma. 10th Dec Fishermen robbed off their engine on the Bonny River. 12th Dec The kidnapped 3 year old daughter of the Adamawa State Chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) leader, Mr.Buba Dauda has been freed by her captors after one week in their possession. 13th Dec A group of youths attacked three oil wells belonging to Chevron in Ohaji Egbema/Oguta Local Council of Imo State. 14th Dec A fire devastated a vandalised Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline that transports refined products from the corporation’s Atlas Cove depot to Mosimi, leaving an unconfirmed number of persons dead or injured. 15th Dec The Nigerian air force has taken delivery of the first of two ATR 42 MP maritime patrol aircraft with the second to be delivered in 2010. 15th Dec Shell Petroleum Development Company shut its gas plant at Soku, in Akuku-Toru Local Government area of Rivers State due to a leak reported on a pipeline that conveys gas from the facility to the Liquified Gas Plant at Bonny. 15th Dec Ten robbers armed with machetes boarded a container ship at anchor via the anchor chain off Tema in Ghana. 18th Dec Pirates armed with machine guns in a speedboat approached and fired upon a chemical tanker whilst drifting off the coast of Guinea. 19th Dec Armoured personnel carriers full of JTF troop were deployed by the Army in Effurun, near Warri, Delta State following the recent increase in criminality in the state. 19th Dec A group of armed robbers laid an ambush for commuters, including journalists at the Effurun roundabout and robbed them of their possessions. 20th Dec The former Nigerian Ambassador to Ukraine and Gabon, Professor Ignatius Hekaire Ajuru was shot and killed in the Obehie area of Abia State. 18th – 20th Dec Thirty two people have died as a result of fresh clashes between farmers and herders in Nassarawa State. 22nd Dec A suspected parcel bomb exploded in a nine storey office block on Ikorodu Road, Onipanu in Lagos. 22nd Dec A group of twenty seven ex militants from Camp 5 overwhelmed a guesthouse in Warri where former MEND leader Tompolo is currently living. After disbandment by local security forces the group made their way to a local navy base to protest to a local amnesty representative. 23rd Dec A party of ex-militants took to the streets of Yenagoa in protest over the continuing failure of the local authorities to deliver the allowance promised by the amnesty process. Protests in Calabar by ex-members of the Bakassi Freedom Fighters. 24th Dec Former Sokoto State commissioner for Health, Alhaji Abubakar Zake Amale Tambuwal shot by robbers enroute to Sokoto. 28th Dec Over seventy people have died in Bauchi after official forces including the army engaged a hard-line Islamic militant group . 28th Dec Robbers armed with automatic weapons attacked and boarded an anchored general cargo ship at anchor in Lagos. 28th Dec Clash between group of former BFF militants and Nigerian Navy patrol in Cross Rivers State. 29th Dec Unknown vessel fired upon whilst at anchorage in Lagos, attack diverted via security protocol. 29th Dec Chemical tanker boarded by gang of robbers whilst at anchorage in Lagos. |
TIMES / DATES OF FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Full Moon – 30th
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| ASSESSMENT (This assessment is based on assumptions and the reported facts above. If the situation changes significantly then the assessment below may not be entirely valid.) |
SITUATION
On the 28th of December, Nigerian Police confirmed that thirty eight people died in Bauchi after official forces including the army engaged a hard-line Islamic militant group, this figure has since risen to around seventy after Morgue reports at the number of bodies, this has been independently substantiated by the Red Cross present in the region. The group known as Yan Kala Kato have been operational in the north of the country for just under two decades. The leader of the sect, Mallam Badamasi, and a soldier were among those killed. The violence allegedly started after members of the group set houses alight in Zango in order to demand the release of its arrested leader. Muhammed Barau, state police spokesman, released a statement confirming that the incident has been successfully contained following the deployment of more than one hundred armed policemen and other security agents. The Nigerian Red Cross is operating a process of evacuation for residents caught in the crisis area. Bauchi was the scene of wide sectarian unrest in July where about 800 people were reportedly killed. Since the 29th of December, scores of extra security have been deployed to Bauchi to sustain calm after the recent sectarian violence in which civilians got caught in the crossfire. The former Sokoto State commissioner for Health, Alhaji Abubakar Zake Amale Tambuwal, and a Police Sergeant, were killed by armed robbers at around 8.00 p.m on the 26th of December whilst enroute along Gundumi Isa Road, Goronyo Local Government Council area to Sokoto. Official sources report that the alleged armed robbers opened fire at the vehicle killing two of the occupants in the process before escaping with the weapon of the late sergeant. No arrests in relation to the incident have been made thus far.
Reports have confirmed that on the 24th of December, more than 400 ex-members of the Bakassi Freedom Fighters took to the streets to protest about the refusal of local authorities to pay their promised resettlement allowances in Calabar. The former militants blockaded a section of Mary Slessor Avenue as they invaded the premises of a nearby bank to demand payment. A number of vehicles were vandalized in the process of the protest. Despite the disruption to the local community no official response from the security services has been reported. This incident occurred just one day after a party of ex Niger Delta-militants took to the streets of Yenagoa in protest over the continuing failure of the local authorities to deliver the allowance promised by the amnesty process. The protest occurred at the same time as the presentation of the 2010 budget of N178.4 billion to the House Assembly by as the Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva.The militants stormed the streets of Yenagoa, especially Amarata area where the House of Assembly premises is located in order to enforce ongoing ill sentiment.
In the maritime domain, four incidents have been reported by official channels;
On the 28th of December LT in Lagos, Nigeria, robbers armed with automatic weapons attacked and boarded an anchored general cargo ship at anchor in Lagos. They assaulted and fired at the crew injuring three in the process. The robbers stole crew personal properties and ship’s stores and equipment. The vessel master attempted to contact the local authorities for assistance however these attempts proved to be futile. The IMB PRC received the distress message from the ship and relayed information to the Nigerian authorities requesting assistance for the injured crew. At dawn, agents sent a boat to evacuate the injured crews’ to shore for medical treatment.
Also on the 28th of December, three suspected former members of the militant group, The Bakassi Freedom Fighters were reportedly been killed in a clash with a Nigerian Navy patrol team in the Little Qua River in Cross River State. Godday Isaac, a former lieutenant to the BFF leader, General Franklin Duduku has also been arrested, the security team confiscated two AK 47 rifles and a speedboat during the clash which occurred at 2pm LT. A Navy spokesperson confirmed in a public statement that the team aboard the NNS Victory were attacked by a group of armed bandits whilst on routine patrol, the naval officers responded and three of the suspected ex-militants were killed in the shoot out. The arrested former aide to the BFF leader was also found to be carrying an amnesty identity card during the operation.
On the 29th of December at 2010 UTC, a small motorboat operated by a group of armed robbers fired upon an unidentified vessel at anchorage in Lagos. The vessel enforced anti piracy measures, which prevented the boarding. It is then believed the group successfully managed to board a chemical tanker nearby at 2116 LT stealing crew belongings and ship equipment in the process.
The main concentration of Piracy/Robbery within the area is:
EXTREME RISK
- Within a 60Nm Semi Circle area based on the Northern tip of Bonny Island (04:32N 007:12E) Nigeria
HEIGHTENED RISK (These areas are affected but not as consistently as the area above.)
- Within a 40NM semi circle area based on Okumbiri (04:18N 005:59E) (Nigeria).
- Within the Port anchorages of Lagos (06:22N 003:26E) (Nigeria).
- Within the Port anchorages of Lome (06:05N 001:16E) (Togo).
- Around the Port anchorages of Accra (05:34N 000:00E) (Ghana).
- Offshore of Kribi (02:55N 009:62E) (Cameroon).
- Within the Douala Anchorage (03:53N 009:32E) (Cameroon)
WEATHER
The wind will initially follow from the SW alternating from the S mid afternoon with wind speed increasing during the afternoons up to 9 knots at its strongest with an average of 6. The sea will be consistent from the SSW, with a small long period swell of 0.9-1.1 meters. The forecast is sunny with occasional cloud cover, and the chance of rain. Visibility will be reduced in showers and radar detrimentally effected by electric storm activity. Relative humidity will average 81%, X-Band Radar ranges will continue to be detrimentally affected and regular manual tuning of gain is advisable to detect small contacts. Within this area the detection of any small contacts inside 2 nautical miles will be extremely difficult. The sea state will average 3 during the week. Visibility is expected to range between 6 -12 NM.
ASSESSMENT
Hybrid criminal piracy in the Gulf of Guinea has proved to be increasingly violent for the motive of financial gain. Nigerian pirates and land-based criminal enterprise gangs have gained a reputation for ruthlessness and violence in maritime acts that Somali criminals have not demonstrated, Nigerian groups have been known to maim and injure crew members of vessels attacked, including cutting off the ears of mariners. Incidents have been reported both from vessels at anchor and also from vessels underway or whilst drifting. In the majority of incidents reported in the last quarter these criminal groups have been heavily armed and approach in small fast vessels that are difficult to identify as a threat from more than 300 yards, however on the 16th of November militants attacked fishing vessels in the creeks of Bayelsa state and the Calabar Channels in Cross River State via canoes which are used as fishing vessels in the littoral waters of Nigeria. Criminal piracy appears to be local to specific ports such as Lagos and Port Harcourt/Bonny Island, and is normally within TTW so it is technically classified as Armed Robbery under maritime law and subject to the jurisdiction of the coastal state. MEND maritime activity is largely confined to the littoral waters of the Niger Delta but piratical activity outside of this area is still likely to be of plain criminal motive. MEND tactics have included a Swarm based attacks in which the militants use several high powered vessels to quickly hit a series of targets in succession. These vessels are highly manoeuvrable and operate together. MEND’s primary tactic of disrupting operations in the Niger Delta region has proved successful. After a relatively quiet period in the maritime domain in terms of marine incidents, four reports have emerged this week, three in Lagos and one in Cross Rivers State. The two incidents that occurred on the 29th of December in Lagos within forty five minutes of each other appear to indicate that the same group of robbers were involved due to their lack of initial success in the first incident.
The ex-Bakassi freedom fighters involved in a clash with the Nigerian Navy on the 28th has highlighted a key issue that confirms previous Dryad predictions. A Navy spokesperson confirmed in a public statement that the team aboard the NNS Victory arrested one of the gang identified as former aide to the BFF leader whom was found to be carrying an amnesty identity card. If true, this demonstrates the futility of the amnesty process in addressing the root causes of the Niger Delta struggle, lending credence to the prediction that unless the government firms its resolve in implementing the amnesty agreement then the groups of militants that agreed to the amnesty process will resume their former livelihood. The Commanding Officer, NNS Victory, Commodore Gabriel Adebayo, also disclosed information regarding a recent incident that has yet to be substantiated by impartial sources, Adebayo alleged that a group of robbers numbering approximately fifteen, attacked a Malabo-Calabar ferry passenger vessel identified as the MV Monica Express carrying traders from Malabo within the area of the command and robbed them of huge sums of money.
The Secretary of the Lagos Pilotage District Berthing Committee, has recently expressed his fears regarding the future of Nigeria’s shipping industry due to piracy and armed robbery within the littoral waters of the Niger Delta, as a result he has urged the National Assembly to facilitate the passage of the Maritime Security Agency (MASECA) Bill to enable shipping activities to once more flourish in the country. The current risk associated with the Gulf of Guinea has had a negative impact on Nigeria’s Economy as shipping companies turn elsewhere. Recent efforts by attacked ships to reach security channels for assistance have failed thus demonstrating the true lack of capability that the Nigerian Navy possess. Incidents in which attackers have been repelled have involved heightened security protocols aboard the vessel such as a twenty four hour watch; measures such as these can significantly mitigate the risk of an attack.
Renewed religious conflict in the north of the country between a hard-line Islamic sect and Nigerian security forces has brought the threat from religious fundamentalism back to a top priority for risk analysis. During the month of July, a significant bout of conflict between Islamic sects and security forces led to the deaths of around 800 people in a matter of weeks across four states including Bauchi. Though the hostilities did not spread south, a jihad has been announced by sects in the region concerning the whole of Nigeria, foreign companies were identified as future potential targets thus it is imperative to recognise the threat faced however minor. Current recommendations include monitoring the local environment via the regional media channels in order to assess what measures should be taken. Nigeria is currently on heightened alert due to the failed bomb attempt on a American Airliner on Christmas day conducted by a Nigerian national, emergency security protocols are in the process of reassessment at the airports and the Government has announced plans to purchase full body scanners. It has been reported by media sources that the government are currently investigating the possibility of Al Qaeda recruiter cells in the country, however at present these reports remain unsubstantiated.
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