Tag: kidnapping

How to secure oil pipelines against vandals – Abia community

Oil-bearing communities of Abia have called for more collaboration among the stakeholders for a more effective security around the nation’s oil pipelines to check vandalism and oil bunkering.

The call was made by a cross-section of representatives of 20 oil-bearing and pipeline host communities in Ukwa west and Ukwa east council areas of the state during a one-day stakeholders’ meeting organised by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) on Monday in Umuahia.

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Source: premiumtimesng.com

Two more ships attacked in Gulf of Guinea: Greek and Singaporean, 8 crew kidnapped

Mikhail Voytenko

Bulk carrier VINALINES MIGHTY wasn’t the only one attacked on Dec 30, two more ships were attacked, in different positions, at different time, 8 crew were kidnapped. Two attacks were thwarted by Nigerian armed security teams on board. Shipping in Gulf of Guinea needs private armed guards, provided by international security agencies.

Product tanker HAPPY LADY
Product tanker HAPPY LADY was attacked at around 2300 Dec 30 in position 04 00N 009 06E, some 6 nm SW of Limbe, Cameroon, where tanker is anchored since late November, so maybe she was a happy lady indeed to remain anchored in dangerous waters for such a long time, without being attacked, No other information on this attack yet, no information on crew’s fate, are they safe or kidnapped, or/and injured?
UPDATE: 8 crew out of 28 on board were kidnapped, among them 5 Greeks, 2 Filipinos, and 1 Ukrainian.

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Source: maritimebulletin.net

Mothership identified for Gulf of Guinea pirates

Michelle Wiese Bockmann

Crew on three ships have repelled armed and dangerous pirates in waters off West Africa in the past seven days

AT LEAST two piracy groups working in the Gulf of Guinea are responsible for the recent spate of attacks on tankers and kidnapping of crew, research from maritime security firm Dryad Global concludes.

The London-based company has identified a mothership, which one pirate group is using to operate deep offshore, as well as a separate group that’s exploiting ambiguous and haphazard patrolling on the outskirts of Nigeria’s Economic Exclusion Zone. The EEZ extends for 240 nautical miles.

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Source: lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com

Piracy attacks off Nigeria rise

Sam Chambers

Piracy attacks off West Africa over the past week have escalated, reaching extraordinarily dangerous proportions where bullets were fired at a moving LNG carrier.

Not for the first time, the BW Group-owned LNG Lokoja was attacked on Saturday morning while en route to Bonny in southern Nigeria. The vessel is understood to have come under attack from a single speedboat with 10 armed men onboard. The pirates are understood to have opened fire on the vessel. Security firm Dryad Global reported the gas carrier conducted evasive maneuvers causing the attack to fail.

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Source: splash247.com

Maritime terrorism a threat, say experts amid rising piracy attacks

Fabian Koh

The increase in piracy attempts in the Singapore Strait is a cause for concern as terrorists could exploit the same loopholes to wreak havoc, say security experts.

Government officials have called for greater collaboration with regional neighbours to address the threat.

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Source: straitstimes.com

Another vessel targeted by pirates in Singapore Strait

Lee Hong Liang

Yet another ship was involved in a piracy incident on Wednesday in the Singapore Strait following five vessels already attacked by pirates earlier on 20 and 23 December, according to an update by ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC).

On 25 December, an incident occurred to tanker Stena Immortal while underway in the eastbound lane of Singapore Strait when six unarmed perpetrators were sighted in the engine room of the ship.

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Source: seatrade-maritime.com

Officials establish contact with 20 Indian sailors abducted off Benin

By

The Indian High Commission to Nigeria says contact has been established with pirates who kidnapped 20 Indian seafarers from a tanker off Benin Republic with all crew members reportedly safe.

An official of the Commission in Abuja said efforts are underway to seek the early release of the abducted seafarers whose location remains unknown.

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Source: shipsandports.com.ng

Crew of Pacific Warden Released

Swire Pacific Offshore (SPO) has confirmed the release of the seven crew members of the Pacific Warden abducted offshore the coast of Equatorial Guinea on November 20, 2019.

On their release, after 31 days in captivity, the crew were met by senior representatives from SPO. Immediate medical checks and other necessary arrangements were organized, and all have now returned to their homes.

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Source: maritime-executive.com

Navy nabs six oil thieves

The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB), Igbokoda, has arrested six oil thieves operating in two boats laden with drums of adulterated diesel on Ondo coastline.

Commodore Danjuma Ndanusa, the Commanding Officer, FOB, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday at Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State that the suspects and the seizures would be handed over to the appropriate security agency for prosecution.

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Source: thenationonlineng.net

Turkish Suezmax tanker attacked in Gulf of Guinea?

Vessel was attacked at around 0700 UTC Dec 24 in Gulf of Guinea, 220 nm southwest of Bonny, Nigeria. Available information point at Suezmax crude oil tanker ISTANBUL, but ship’s identity not yet confirmed. No other information available at the moment, awaiting ship’s ID confirmation and details.

Tanker is en route from Bonny OPL to Rotterdam (understood in load), since 0700 UTC she turned hard portside and as of 0800 UTC, was steaming south.

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Source: maritimebulletin.net