Kidnapping – 61nm South Cotonou

Reporting indicates that the fishing vessel PANOFI FRONTIER has been attacked by several gunmen on board one speed boat 61nm South of Cotonou Port.

Following a successful boarding, the individuals left the vessel with 6 crew members believed to be 5 Korean and one Ghanaian. The speedboat was last seen heading East towards Nigerian waters.

This is the 7th incident within the waters off Cotonou within 2020. The last incident recorded within this area was on the 14 May 20 when a vessel was approached 106nm South Cotonou.

This represents a significant uptick in reporting within this area with only one incident reported across the same time frame within 2019 and three incidents across the whole of 2019.

This incident appears to be the second boarding of a fishing vessel in the waters off Lome and Cotonou with the Hijack of the HAILUFENG 11 occuring on the evening of the 15th May 20. Perpetrators of serious maritime security incidents within this area are assessed to originate from within Nigeria and are increasingly seeking to target vulnerable vessels in waters beyond the traditional heartland of the Southern Niger Delta.