Piracy attacks off Nigeria rise

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.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: splash247.com

Officials establish contact with 20 Indian sailors abducted off Benin

By Jite Eriabie

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.

To continue reading, please click here.

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.

To continue reading, please click here.

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.

To continue reading, please click here.

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.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: maritimebulletin.net

Coast Guard requests press not to use ‘piracy’ for ‘robbery’

Bangladesh Coast Guard on Thursday requested journalists not to use the word ‘piracy’ or ‘pirate’ while referring to robbery incidents on inland and coastal waterways.

The word ‘piracy’ on sea refers to robbery or criminal incidents outside the maritime boundary of the country while the incidents handled by the coast guards occur along the coast of the country and is thus robbery, said a release.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: newagebd.net

Pirates release 19 crew kidnapped from Nave Constellation

The 19 seafarers kidnapped by pirates from the VLCC Nave Constellation off Nigeria have been released.

Owners Navios Maritime Acquisition Corporation and managers, Anglo-Eastern Tanker Management said that the 19 crew, 18 Indian nationals and one Turkish national, kidnapped on 3 December were released on Saturday, 21 December.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: seatrade-maritime.com

Pirates kill one, kidnap four in Gabon capital attack

Pirates attacked four ships in Libreville harbour, government spokesman says.

A Gabonese captain was killed and four Chinese sailors abducted on Saturday in Gabon’s capital, Libreville, following an attack by pirates in the city’s harbour, the government has said.

“Pirate attacks were perpetrated … against four ships,” government spokesman Edgard Anicet Mboumbou Miyakou said on Sunday.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: aljazeera.com

Police kill 4 sea pirates on Delta waterways

Ben Dunno

Four members of a notorious sea pirates that specialised in ambushing passenger boats conveying mostly traders along the Izon-Burutu waterways were yesterday shot dead by mobile police escort team attached to Delta State Government Waterways Security.

Investigations revealed that the gang had in the early hours of the day hijacked a full load passenger boat headed to Burutu from Warri and dispossessed all the passengers of their goods, cash and personal belongings.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: sunnewsonline.com

Piracy: Senate wants Navy funded to procure 150 vessels

The Senate on Wednesday called for proper funding of the Nigerian Navy to enable it procures over one hundred and fifty vessels needed to undertake their constitutional responsibilities of securing the country’s territorial waters.

The call was made to the executive arm of government after consideration of a report of the Senate Joint Committee on Navy, Marine Transport and Finance on the investigation of the illegal activities by Ocean Marine Solutions Limited (OMSL) at the Secured Anchorage Area (SAA) of Lagos Ports.

To continue reading, please click here.

Source: pmnewsnigeria.com