COEAFRICA gathered that Shippers have raised an alarm over pirates attack on oil tankers and other vessels at will in the Gulf of Guinea. This has been raising fears because the shipping lanes which have existed for about 500 years could be permanently disrupted.

West African piracy centred on the Niger Delta has in recent times expanded from coasts of Nigeria to the shorelines of about 11 countries that border the gulf where pirates seize large oil tankers, siphon the  product into smaller vessels refine it in clandestine facilities and quickly sell it, fuelling  oil black a regional oil black market.

Concerns are being raised by oil consuming nations because more than 30pecent of US oil and 40 percent of Europe’s oil passes through the Gulf and is vulnerable to West Africa piracy.