…..Seized Ship For Four Days
While Nigerians joined the rest of the world to celebrate Christmas last December, about 15 fully armed, dare-devil sea robbers stormed a chemical tanker that was at anchorage in Lagos; about 60 nautical miles South West of Lagos on December 24.
Local security sources told our correspondent that “the robbers were very violent with the crew and mustered them in the mess room. Ship (names with held), crew cash and crew personal valuables were robbed.
The incident which was unreported lasted for about four days as the robbers took charge of the ill-fated ship.
“The robbers forced the chief engineer and master to sail the vessel under their orders to an undesignated position. Here the vessel was forced to conduct STS operations and discharge her cargo into a smaller unnamed vessel”, our correspondent was told last week.
It was confirmed that illegal cargo transfer was completed on December 26; a clear three days after the ship was attacked and boarded. A source also confirmed that some crew members suffered minor injuries.
The robbers had a field day and operated undisturbed by any security agency; neither were they challenged by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency
Still fully in charge, the sea robbers eventually ordered the vessel to sail under their orders. The ship eventually sailed out on December 27, 2010 and disembarked from the vessel.
Even as at press time, neither the Nigerian Navy nor NIMASA appears to be aware of the attack as every efforts made by our correspondent to secure an explanation failed.
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