A new anti-piracy law in Nigeria has delivered its first results. A court in Port Harcourt has fined three men $52,000 each for hijacking a ship in March and securing a ransom of $200,000 for the release of its crew.
The director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Bashir Jamoh, commented: “This will serve as a deterrent to other criminal elements who are still engaged in the nefarious activities on our waterways.”
Nigeria is the world’s hotspot for piracy with four out of five attacks around the globe taking place in and around its waters.
Nearly 50 crew were kidnapped in the Gulf of Guinea in the first half of this year, compared with 27 last year.
