defenceWeb
Written by defenceWeb -
Armed pirates.
Two vessels have been attacked by pirates; one in the Gulf of Guinea and the other just outside of it, possibly by the same pirate group.
On 6 February, 133 nautical miles north-east of São Tomé and Príncipe, the Marshall Island flagged chemical tanker Sea Phantom was attacked and boarded by pirates. The chemical tanker was underway from Lomé, Togo when she was attacked 90 nautical miles west of Bata, Equatorial Guinea, within the eastern boundaries of the São Tomé and Príncipe exclusive economic zone. According to Praesidium International, the crew managed to retreat to into the citadel as the vessel was successfully boarded by pirates. Eight men are believed to still be onboard.
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THE New Year celebration started on a sour note in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) when dare-devil pirates killed four armed guards and kidnapped two Russians and one Indian aboard a Nigerian-flagged Hopper dredger, Ambika on January 2, 2020. The 2,153 Gross Tonnage Ambika was attacked as she was navigating three nautical miles from the mouth of the Ramos River which is just nine nautical miles east of the Forcados Terminal in Nigerian waters.
Deep Blue Project
With insecurity rearing its ugly head very early in the year on Nigeria’s waterways, the Federal Government, in February, at a press briefing, announced that it will soon be deploying its integrated maritime security infrastructure.
defenceWeb
Written by defenceWeb -
Apprehended pirates.
Pirate attacks continue unabated in the Gulf of Guinea with bulk carrier Stevia the latest to report an attack with eight crew kidnapped, but not confirmed.
Security consultants, including Dryad Global and Praesidium International, warn of an increase in incidents.
“In same general area as the Stevia incident Togo-flagged tanker Stelios K was attacked and its crew kidnapped on 16 November. Another kidnap happened further north-west on 26 November and involved Saint Kitts and Nevis-flagged cargo vessel Milan.
“These incidents follow threats by local militant groups last month and a recent spike in unsuccessful piracy attacks south-west of Bonny Island, south-west of Bayelsa and south of Cotonou/Lagos. Further incidents are likely,” Praesidium warns.
The toll on seafarers has continued to rise with reports that another eight crew members were kidnapped in the Gulf of Guinea on Wednesday. The threat to seafarers remains high in the region as the security services warn that additional incidents are likely to occur in the coming days.
The latest incident, according to Dryad Global, involved a 38-year old bulk carrier, the Stevia. The 11,990 DWT vessel registered in Cameroon was reportedly sailing from southern Nigeria to Abidjan, Ivory Coast when it was attacked by pirates believed to be local militants.
Praesidium reports that the vessel’s speed dropped and was believed to drift for about two hours.
Local Cargo Ship Latest to Fall Victim to Gulf of Guinea Pirates
A smaller general cargo ship has become the latest vessel to fall victim to predators operating in the Gulf of Guinea. The security services are reporting that a vessel that operates in the local region was boarded and five African nations were abducted from the crew.
The
Cap Saint Georges, a 700 DWT vessel, built in 1973 and registered in Cameroon, had departed Cameroon and was underway to her homeport in Togo according to Praesidium International when the attack occurred.
Source: maritime-executive.com