Abu Sayyaf holds three kidnapped Indonesians in Sulu village

By: Stefyanie Myla Micheal, Zam Yusa

Kota Kinabalu: The three Indonesian fishermen kidnapped in waters off Tambisan island, Kinabatangan on Sept 23, are being held by the Abu Sayyaf group led by a sub-leader wanted by the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) in a village in Indanan town, Sulu, southern Philippines, Daily Express has been able to confirm.

A terrorism researcher at Jakarta-based think-tank Galatea, Ulta Levenia Nababan, said the kidnappers [MSN: I assume they mean the hostages] are currently being held by Salip Mura’s group.

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Source: dailyexpress.com.my

NSCDC arrests 23 suspected oil thieves in Rivers

Chukwudi Akasike

The Rivers State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has arrested 23 suspected oil thieves and seized a vessel and 20 vehicles used in conveying stolen petroleum products.

The suspects, according to the state NSCDC Commandant, Mr Muktar Lawal, were apprehended in various parts of the state.

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Source: punchng.com

Philippines: Kidnappers Demand Ransom for British Man and Wife

The gunmen who abducted a British national and his Filipina wife have demanded 50 million pesos (almost U.S. $1 million) in exchange for their freedom, a Philippine military official said Thursday.

This came as the Philippine Coast Guard announced it had deployed its anti-terror unit and a high-speed boat to beef up the military’s search-and-rescue mission in the porous coastlines of the Zamboanga peninsula in the southern Philippines.

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Source: benarnews.org

Nigerian Anti-corruption Agency Arraigns 26 For Illegal Oil Deal

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned 26
suspected pirates alongside a company, Sam Pam Nigeria Limited, and a
vessel, MV Neso II, before Justice Mohammed Liman of the federal high
court in Ikoyi.

The suspects were arraigned on two counts bordering on illegal dealing
in petroleum products.

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Source: saharareporters.com

Piracy reports on Nigeria is manipulated – Navy

By Godwin Oritse

The Nigerian Navy has warned the media against carrying the international piracy reports on Nigeria as credible news saying that, “Most of these are manipulated for their economic gains.’’

Speaking at the third Ministerial stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos, Rear Admiral Oladele Daji, said that these reports hurt businesses in Nigeria when they are published.

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Source: vanguardngr.com

Investors put off by Nigeria’s piracy problem

Maritime chief pledges to lead the fight against piracy to counter the negative impact of attacks in the Gulf of Guinea which are deterring would-be investors in Nigeria’s shipping sector

Linton Nightingale

THE heightened risk piracy attacks in the Gulf of Guinea is putting progress in Nigeria’s shipping sector on hold, with would-be investors deterred due to the heightened security issue.

Dr Dakuka Peterside, director general of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, which is responsible for overseeing security under its scope of activities in the country’s coastal waters, said the “negative impact” of hijackings and kidnappings are stunting shipping’s development.

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Source: lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com

Asian, European seamen kidnapped off Cameroon: navy source

Yaoundé (AFP) – Asian and European seamen were kidnapped Thursday aboard a vessel in the Gulf of Guinea off the southern Cameroon port of Douala, a senior Cameroonian navy source said.

“(They) were abducted this morning,” said the source, who gave no details about the number or nationality of the kidnap victims. “The kidnappers are probably Nigerian pirates,” the source said. “Cameroonian forces have launched search operations.”

MSM Note: Some media sources have stated that Cameroonian naval personnel were also abducted during the attack.

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Source: news.yahoo.com

Navy: Fighting crime within the waterways

Philip Nwosu

In 2015, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas launched the force’s strategic directive 2015-1, aimed at providing security in the maritime sector, ensure effective monitoring of the nation’s waterways and sustain its effort to maintain credible presence at sea.

After four years, the Nigerian Navy says it has been able to effectively police the nation’s waterways and ensure that the maritime sector is safe.

According to the Nigerian Navy, it has impounded and destroyed illegally refined crude oil valued at N8.4 billion between January and June 2019. The navy has destroyed and impounded 131,085.06 barrels of crude oil and about 29,612,202 litres of illegally refined products during its anti-crude oil theft campaign. It also destroyed 227 illegal refineries, 2,688 storage facilities, 364 wooden boats and impounded 11 barges and 32 vessels.

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Source: sunnewsonline.com

Turkish sailors held hostage by armed pirates in Nigeria

A group of 10 Turkish sailors has been kidnapped by pirates off the coast of Nigeria, reportedly for ransom.

The Paksoy-1 was sailing from Cameroon to Ivory Coast when the pirates boarded the ship in the Gulf of Guinea.

It was not carrying freight and eight sailors managed to escape. Turkey says it is working to secure the release of those seized.

The International Maritime Bureau says the Gulf of Guinea is the most dangerous sea in the world for piracy.

Ömer Çelik, spokesman for Turkey’s ruling AK Party, said the ministry was following the case closely and “working on it”.

Numan Paksoy, operations manager at Kadıoğlu Maritime, said about “12 pirates with heavy guns” had attacked the boat.

Crew members hid in a safe room – the citadel – when the pirates boarded the ship, but emerged after “the assailants threatened to burn the ship and kill all of them”, he told the BBC in an emailed statement.

The attackers then picked 10 sailors and let the other eight go, he added.

73% of all sea kidnappings and 92% of hostage-takings occur in the Gulf of Guinea off Nigeria, Guinea, Togo, Benin and Cameroon, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

Recently, the organisation has noted “a welcome and marked decrease” in attacks in the region due to an increase in Nigerian Navy patrols.

Twenty-one incidents have been recorded around Nigeria so far this year, compared to 31 in the same period of 2018.

Source: bbc.co.uk

MV attacked – Gulf of Guinea (July 13th)

Underway Turkish-flagged general cargo ship attacked by five to seven armed men in two skiffs at 2250 UTC in position 02:58N – 004:40E, approx 117nm SW of Brass, Nigeria. Crew attempted to hide as pirates boarded but were threatened when some were caught. Pirates damaged communication and navigation equipment, abducted 10 Turkish national crew before escaping. Eight remaining unharmed crew able to sail vessel to Tema harbour, Ghana. Ghana navy escorted vessel into port. Reported (MDAT/Reuters) 13 Jul. Via OCEANUSLive.org