International Anti-Piracy Drills Staged in Gulf of Guinea

Nigeria, United States, Britain, Spain and the Netherlands Friday conducted a joint military exercise as part of international efforts to curb piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, which has become a global hotspot.

Coastguards, frigates, warships and helicopter patrols took part in the joint amphibious exercise, codenamed "African Wings", in a show of military strength off Lagos.

Nigeria's naval chief Vice Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba said the exercise aimed to demonstrate the combat-readiness of his country's navy in the fight against piracy.

"This is a joint military exercise between our armed forces and our foreign partners to send a clear signal to the criminals in our waters that we are ever ready and prepared for them," he said.

Rear Admiral Ben Bekkering, leading the Dutch navy at the exercise, promised further cooperation to "make the Gulf of Guinea and the international waters safe and secure."

The number of attacks in the Gulf of Guinea rose from 39 in 2010 to 53 in 2011 and 62 in 2012, according to the London-based think tank Chatham House.

Pirate attacks in the region have increasingly targeted international cargo tankers, with stolen fuel sold on the international black market.

Other instances have occurred off Nigeria's oil-producing southern coast, where vessels have been raided, sometimes with expatriate workers kidnapped for ransom.

Many of the world's leading oil companies operate in the region, including Shell and ExxonMobil.

Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer, exporting some two million barrels per day from onshore and deepwater fields in the Niger Delta, which falls along the Gulf of Guinea.