Oil tanker owners negotiating with abductors of five Indian sailors

The Indians were reportedly abducted on April 19 when the vessel, the Palau-registered Apecus, was anchored off Lagos in Nigeria.

The owners of an oil tanker, whose five Indian crew members were kidnapped in the waters off Nigeria last month, have established contact with the abductors and are negotiating for their release, people familiar with developments said on Tuesday.

The Indians were reportedly abducted on April 19 when the vessel, the Palau-registered Apecus, was anchored off Lagos in Nigeria. There was no official word on the current status or whereabouts of the kidnapped men.

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Source: hindustantimes.com

Canadian among oil workers kidnapped by gunmen in Nigeria

Troops searching surrounding area after oil rig raided by attackers, military says

Gunman kidnapped three oil workers from Canada, Scotland and Nigeria at a rig in Nigeria’s Delta region on Saturday, officials said — the second abduction in the area in less than a week.

The attackers raided the rig owned by Niger Delta Petroleum Resources in Ogbele, Rivers State at around 8 a.m. local time, said military spokesperson Maj. Ibrahim Abubakar.

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Source: cbc.ca

Duterte issues travel warning for Zamboanga

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday urged tourists not to travel to Zamboanga for now as he raised the atrocities committed by the Abu Sayyaf against foreigners.

Duterte gave the statement at the 7th Union Asia Pacific Regional Conference in Pasay City which was attended by health experts in the region.

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Source: gmanetwork.com

Tanker attacked, 6 crew kidnapped

Mikhail Voytenko

Product tanker APECUS attacked by 6 persons at Bonny Outer Anchorage, Nigeria at 1330 UTC Apr 19, 6 crew kidnapped, according to IMB report. Tanker was moved to Bonny inner anchorage. According to AIS records, tanker during recent months traded between Tema Ghana, Lome Togo, and Lagos, she arrived at Bonny anchorage from Lagos on Apr 20 or earlier. AIS records history is sketchy – tanker was trading in dangerous waters, probably having to switch off AIS for security reasons.

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Source: maritimebulletin.net

Piracy Attacks on Nigeria’s Risky Waterways Fall 36%

By Elisha Bala-Gbogbo

Piracy attacks off Nigeria’s coast fell to 14 in the first quarter from 22 a year ago after the navy improved its response to incidents, the International Maritime Bureau said.

“These results confirm the Nigerian navy’s increased efforts to actively respond to reported incidents by dispatching patrol boats,” the London-based body that tracks attacks on sea vessels said. “Despite these efforts, Nigerian waters remain risky for vessels, especially the port of Lagos where four incidents have been reported.”

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Source: bloomberg.com

Navy takes war to kidnappers, others

by Precious Igbonwelundu

In its quest to ensure that kidnapping and hostage taking do not reign in riverine areas, the Nigerian Navy (NN) on Tuesday said it was taking the battle to the enclaves of the criminals.

Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command (WNC) Rear Admiral Oladele Daji stated this in an interview shortly after assuming headship of the command.

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Source: thenationonlineng.net

Abducted Malaysian fisherman rescued from Abu Sayyaf

By: Zam Yusa

Kota Kinabalu: The Malaysian fisherman kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf last year was rescued in Sulu on Thursday but is in critical condition after being shot by the group, a Philippine military spokesman told Daily Express.

Jari Abdullah, 34, was abducted along with two Indonesians from their fishing boat in Pegasus Reef waters off Kinabatangan on Dec 6.

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Source: dailyexpress.com.my

Poachers avoid PH waters over kidnap fears – Coast Guard

By: Julie Alipala

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Kidnapping in the high seas, usually done by the bandit group Abu Sayyaf, has been scaring away poachers of rare and endangered species of turtles from Tawi-Tawi, an officer of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.

Lt. Makaradat Uddin, PCG district commander in Tawi-Tawi, said poachers from Malaysia, Indonesia and other Asian countries had been veering away from the Tawi-Tawi islands, including the Turtle Islands, the natural nesting ground for green sea turtles.

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Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

ASG gunman killed in Sulu fighting

BY AL JACINTO

ZAMBOANGA CITY: Government troops clashed with pro-Islamic State (IS) militant groups in Sulu, which killed an Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) fighter and wounded two police officers in separated encounters on Tuesday.

Officials said the fighting simultaneously erupted on Simisa Island off Banguingi town and in Patikul town.

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Source: manilatimes.net

8 Sayyaf bandits yield amid military offensives in Sulu

By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Eight Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandits have surrendered to military authorities over the weekend as tactical offensives continue against the group in the province of Sulu, military officials said.

Brig. Gen. Divino Rey Pabayo Jr., Joint Task Force Sulu commander, said one of the eight surrendered around 2 p.m. Saturday to the Army’s 1101st Infantry Brigade. Pabayo said the ASG surrenderer, Misal Abdulwahid, 33, turned over an M-16 Armalite rifle to Col. Antonio Nafarete, 1101st Infantry Brigade commander.

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Source: pna.gov.ph