LAGOS, Feb 8 (Reuters) – Pirates have kidnapped seven Russians and one Ukrainian after attacking the cargo ship the BBC Caribbean off the coast of Nigeria, the Russian embassy said on its official Twitter account.
The embassy has asked Nigerian authorities to assist in locating the abducted people, it said late on Tuesday.
The Nigerian navy and police were not immediately available for comment.
The general cargo vessel BBC Caribbean is managed by Briese Schiffahrts.
“The armed pirates approached (the vessel) in a boat, captured the crew and left on the boat at the direction of the Nigerian shores,” said Pavel Fedulov, the director of a Briese Schiffahrts subsidiary in St Petersburg, according to Russian news organisation RBC.
No firearms were used during the attack, he was quoted as saying.
Security experts class West Africa’s waters, especially off Nigeria where most of the pirates originate, as some of the world’s most dangerous, with attackers often targeting oil tankers as well as hostages to ransom.
As oil prices have dropped, pirate gangs have taken to abducting crew for ransom as a way to make more money.
Security analysts say the pirates have emerged from militant groups in Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger Delta.
The Nigerian navy on Wednesday rescued an oil tanker, the MT Gaz Providence, and its 21 crew members from a separate pirate attack near Bonny Island, the navy said in a statement.
Another attack was also fended off by the navy south of Akassa in Delta state, where pirates twice tried to hijack the oil tanker MT Rio Spirit, the navy said.
The statement did not address the kidnapping of the crew members of BBC Caribbean. (Reporting by Angela Ukomadu; Additional reporting by Tife Owalabi in Yenagoa, Ulf Laessing in Lagos and Vladimir Soldatkin in Moscow; Writing by Paul Carsten; Editing by Alison Williams)
Dive into a sea of information with our meticulously curated weekly “Dispatch” email. It’s more than just a newsletter; it’s your personal maritime briefing.
Dive into a sea of information with our meticulously curated weekly “Dispatch” email. It’s more than just a newsletter; it’s your personal maritime briefing.
CAIRO, March 2 (Reuters) – The Houthi Transport Ministry in Yemen said on Saturday there had been a “glitch” in undersea communication cables in the Red Sea as a result of actions...
by Captain John Konrad (gCaptain) In the current American labor landscape, the stark contrast between the assertive strides of transportation unions and the maritime sector’s unique labor challenges is striking....
By Mikhail Flores MANILA, Dec 2 (Reuters) – Evacuations were under way in the Philippines after a quake of at least magnitude 7.5 struck the southern region of Mindanao on Saturday night,...
December 2, 2023
Total Views: 2150
Why Join gCaptain Club?
Be Informed: Stay updated with the latest maritime news and trends.
Connect: Network with a community of maritime professionals and enthusiasts.
Gain Insights: Receive exclusive content and personal perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.