After about three months of relative peace, sea robbers struck twice last week on Lagos waters, attacking two ships and injuring crew and carting away valuables.
Although details of the attacks were not revealed to our correspondent, it was confirmed that in one of the attacks four foreign crew members were brutally attacked as about eight robbers armed with crowbars, machetes and guns fired upon and boarded a general cargo ship (identity unknown) that was drifting off about 30 nautical miles off the Lagos Fairway Buoy. The robbers reportedly stole ship and crew cash and property and later escaped.
The attack in which four crew were injured was unleashed on a cargo vessel which was destined for Apapa port of Lagos. It took place on Tuesday December 14.
In the second attack, which also occurred about 25 nautical miles of Lagos, it was the dexterity and bravery of the ship’s captain that saved the day as the robbers could not board the ship, despite their spirited attempts.
According to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) piracy reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur, “a suspicious vessel approached a drifting container ship. At a distance of 2.1 nm the vessel stopped and launched a skiff with seven armed pirates. The skiff chased and fired upon the ship with intent to board”.
The report which was accessed last week by our correspondent the ship’s “Master raised alarm, increased speed and crew activated fire hoses, smoke signals and fired rocket flares at the skiff. The pirates made several attempts to board the ship and finally aborted the attack due to the effective anti piracy measures taken by the ship including rigging of razor wires and electric fence”.
Both incidents were (unlike in previous attacks) reported to the IMB immediately. They were both recorded as attacks 423 and 427 respectively.
Discussion about this post