Gulf of Guinea sees 25% rise in piracy attacks in 2025

The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has revealed a 25 per cent increase in reported incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea in the first nine months of 2025, with the highest recorded number in the Singapore Straits since 1991.

IMB and its Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) in a recent report, released on October 14, 2024, disclosed that 15 incidents were reported in the Gulf of Guinea for the period of January-September 2025, compared to 12 in the same period of 2024.

Of these, the IMB report revealed that 10 occurred in territorial waters, under the definition of armed robbery and the remaining five under the definition of piracy.

According to IMB, while incident numbers remain curbed, crew safety remains a concern. The report revealed that 14 crew members were kidnapped in these waters from January to September 2025.

IMB reported that despite zero crew kidnappings in Q3, perpetrators continue to demonstrate the capability to target vessels out at sea.

“In late August, a product tanker was boarded 46nm from Ghana. Its 13 crew are safe, but this and other reports underscore the need to continue adhering to the latest versions of the industry-recognised Best Management Practices,” the report stated.
On the global incident levels, IMB reported 116 incidents in the period under review, up from 79 in the same period in 2024, the highest reported nine-month figures since 2021.

The report revealed that 102 vessels were boarded, nine faced attempted boarding, four were hijacked and one was fired upon. In 91 per cent of incidents, perpetrators successfully gained access to the vessel, with most boarding incidents occurring at night.

IMB stated that the threat of violence against crew remains a concern, with weapons identified in 55 per cent of reported incidents in the first nine months of 2025.

According to the report, guns were visibly carried in 33 per cent of cases – the highest level since 2017, adding that during this period, 43 crew members were taken hostage, 16 kidnapped, seven threatened, three assaulted and three injured.

On the Singapore Straits, IMB revealed a total of 73 incidents were reported in between January and September 2025 – the highest number recorded since 1991.

IMB stated that despite this overall rise, there has been a marked reduction in incidents following the arrest of two gangs in July 2025 by the Indonesian Marine Police (IMP).

IMB Director, Michael Howlett, said crew safety remains crucial in the Gulf of Guinea despite the sustained decline of incidents.

Howlett said this is an important time to reinforce the need for vigilance, as there can be no room for complacency.

“We urge the continued use of collaborative frameworks and commend the efforts undertaken by regional authorities that have contained incident levels and enhanced security of crews and vessels globally,” he stated.

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