Living up to its unenviable current rating as the emerging hottest piracy spot, renewed piracy attacks were recorded on and off Nigerian coast last week.
No fewer than four separate attacks were recorded. Security sources confirmed that an offshore speed crew boat Utai 8 is missing in Nigerian waters, after a suspected piracy attack.
They confirmed that contact with the boat was lost since the early hours of April 25, about 30 nautical miles south of Brass.
Living up to its unenviable current rating as the emerging hottest piracy spot, renewed piracy attacks were recorded on and off Nigerian coast last week.
No fewer than four separate attacks were recorded. Security sources confirmed that an offshore speed crew boat Utai 8 is missing in Nigerian waters, after a suspected piracy attack.
They confirmed that contact with the boat was lost since the early hours of April 25, about 30 nautical miles south of Brass.
Boat was en route to Port Harcourt with three crew on board and no passengers. Presumably, boat is hijacked by pirates for maybe, the purpose of using it as a mother-ship.
Similarly, a container ship was reportedly attacked off the coast of Nigeria
According to information received, the Antigua and Barbuda container ship was underway in position 03:15N-005:40E at 2345 LT, approximately 32nm SSW of the Nigeria coast when it was attacked.
Pirates reportedly fired on the vessel which increased speed and evaded boarding attempts.
Also pirates have reportedly kidnapped four crew members when they attacked a container ship off the coast of Equatorial Guinea, the vessel’s management company said.
Hamburg-based shipping firm Leonhardt and Blumberg said the four hostages – two Ukrainians, a Russian and one from the Pacific island nation of Kiribati – were taken when the Liberia-flagged Hansa Marburg was attacked last week by armed men.
The raid on the 23,416-deadweight-tonnage ship took place around 130 nautical miles off the coast of the small West African oil producer, the company said in a statement.
“No injuries were reported among the remaining crew members who continued with the vessel to Senegal. The company is in contact with the families of those being held and those on board,” the statement said.
A Greek-flagged oil tanker, Cap Theodora, was unsuccessfully attacked twice in the last week off the coast of Nigeria, close to where the Hansa Marburg was boarded, security sources say. They believe the attacks are linked.
Yet another attack was reported on a Greek flagged crude oil tanker within the Gulf of Guinea.
The report states that the vessel was in position 03:10N-007:14E at 0655 UTC approximately 104nm South South East of Brass, Nigeria and around 23nm South South West of the Usan field.
The ship was transiting at a speed of 15 knots when a speed boat with five or six persons on board came alongside and the occupants attempted to board. A ladder was sighted on board the speed boat. After several attempts, the pirates aborted their attempt to board.
A possible mother ship (fishing boat with a red hull and white superstructure) was sighted in the vicinity. Security vessels from the Akpo and Usan fields were dispatched to investigate. This marked the second time this tanker has been involved in an attempted boarding.
On April 16th a similar attempt was made whilst the ship was approximately 36nm off Principe Island.
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