Risk Intelligence recorded 70 piracy incidents related to Nigeria in 2011. This figure (which includes attacks carried out by Nigeria-based groups in the Bight of Benin) compares to 58 recorded incidents in 2010 and 92 incidents in 2009. The pattern of piracy evolved in 2011 as piracy groups developed a new business model. Nigeria-based groups began to attack and hijack chemical and product tankers off Lagos and Cotonou (33 attacks were recorded).
The aim of this type of attack was to temporarily hijack the product tanker and steal the cargo. Meanwhile, piracy off the Niger Delta remained at a low level with 36 recorded attacks – clustered off Bonny, Akwa Ibom State and in the Calabar River.
For more on this and related evolving security threats see
https://www.sldinfo.com/products/february-2012-si/