A Moroccan seafarer who has been simply identified as Ahmed Janane and who was kidnapped on July 31, 2017 by Nigerian pirates in the Gulf of Guinea after an attack of the ship “OYA 1”, flying Panamanian flag, has been freed.
The ship was attacked around 15 nautical miles south west of Bonny Island in Rivers state.
According to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre, the attack on OYA 1 “was reported to the Nigerian navy who responded and located the ship. It was reported that some crew members were missing”.
The Nigerian navy subsequently towed the vessel to a safe port for investigation.
The 1986-built vessel of 1,276 dwt and formerly known as Celia, is managed by Ocean Express of Congo.
According to members of the Moroccan; Ahmed’s family who revealed his release, he is expected back home in a few days.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that, Ahmed Janane and another Moroccan merchant navy officer; Abdelkader Benhala, and three other officers, all crewmembers of the ship “OYA 1”, belonging to the Congolese shipping company Ocean Express, were kidnapped by Nigerian pirates.
But, there have been details on the other Moroccan sailors who were kidnapped along with Janane.
Announcing his imminent return to Morocco, Ahmed Janane family confirmed that he was released last Sunday by his kidnappers.
The Gulf of Guinea, which borders some 17 countries of West and Central Africa, is known as the most dangerous area in Africa after the Somali coast, particularly in Nigerian waters.
Armed pirates, traveling on board ultra-fast zodiacs, carry out 50 attacks each year against the ships transiting in the area. They steal the cargos and take some sailors as hostages to demand payment of ransoms for their release.
In recent time, 31 crew in five reported incidents have been taken by Nigerian pirates.
The numbers include 14 crew members taken from two separate vessels in the second quarter of the year.
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