Bergen Risk Solutions says Nigerian pirates now using mother ships

Bergen Risk Solutions, the Norwegian based specialist in political, maritime and security risk assessments that puts a special focus on Nigeria and the Niger Delta, has identified a worrying new trend in Nigerian piracy – the use of mother ships and skiffs in a similar manner to Somali Pirate Action Groups.

Bergen Risk Solutions says this is a “relatively new development … and increases the pirates’ range and therefore the risk of incidents far offshore.”

In the Incident Library of its latest Nigeria Maritime Security review, Bergen Risk Solutions notes four incidents in the first quarter of 2012 in which mother ship involvement is suspected, the most recent being an attack on a Nigerian flag chemical tanker 80 nm south of Brass on March 22 in which a speedboat carrying 10 armed pirates was deployed from a fishing vessel.

April 10, 2012