The Gulf of Guinea is now the world’s worst piracy hotspot
The tricks that baffled buccaneers off Somalia and South-East Asia may not help in west Africa
DOCKED IN THE port of Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, floats a colossal oil tanker. Two layers of razor wire snake around its deck. Two life-sized human dummies in orange jumpsuits are perched on the ship’s bridge, posing as crew members keeping watch. Serving as a reminder that such precautions are prudent in Africa are the mangled steel and concrete remains of a jetty. It was blown up a decade ago by militants with a sideline in piracy.
This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline “Crime waves”
From the June 29th 2019 edition
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