ATHENS/ABUJA, Dec 17 (Reuters) – Pirates have attacked an oil products tanker off the coast of Nigeria and kidnapped its Ukrainian captain and a Greek engineer, Greek coast guard officials said on Tuesday.
The 6,500 tonne Marshall Islands-flaggged MT ALTHEA with 18 crew on board was attacked by a group of 10 pirates, the officials said. The ship’s manager, Piraeus-based Medtankers Management, confirmed the attack.
“We are doing everything we can for their release,” an official at the firm said on condition of anonymity, adding that so far, no ransom demand had been received.
“They kidnapped the two men but did not touch the cargo (oil) or injure anyone.”
The ship was attacked late on Monday around 35 nautical miles off the oil-producing Niger Delta coastline, a Nigerian security source said. The armed pirates fled with the two hostages in a speedboat, the source said.
The Nigerian navy is investigating, a spokesman said.
Pirate attacks off Nigeria have jumped by a third this year as ships passing through West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea, a major commodities route, have come under threat from gangs wanting to snatch cargoes and crews.
Unlike the waters off Somalia on the east African coast, where ships now speed through with armed guards on board, there is little protection for many vessels which have to anchor off West African countries to do business.
This makes them targets for criminals and raises insurance costs. Kidnapped sailors and oil workers taken in Nigerian waters are usually released after a ransom is paid. (Reporting by Renee Maltezou in Athens and Joe Brock in Abuja; Additional reporting by Jonathan Saul in London; Editing by Alistair Lyon)
(Bloomberg) — Norwegian shipping billionaire John Fredriksen has clashed with another tanker company after his tumultuous attempt to buy Euronav NV was abandoned earlier this year. Seatankers Group, through which...
National Maritime Day has been celebrated on May 22 across the United States since its creation in 1933, making 2023 the 90th annual celebration. May 22 was chosen to honor...
New details have been uncovered by creating a ‘digital twin’ of the infamous wreck of the Titanic. Deep water specialist Magellan Ltd. has performed the largest underwater 3D scan in...
May 19, 2023
Total Views: 15450
Sign Up Now for gCaptain Daily
Just enter your email and get hot news every morning
SIGN UP
Get the latest gCaptain articles and breaking news
Sign up for gCaptain Daily
Get the latest gCaptain articles and breaking news
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
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.
{"Tags":["nigeria","piracy"],"Categories":["Maritime News","News","Piracy"],"Excerpt":"Pirates have attacked an oil products tanker off the coast of Nigeria and kidnapped its Ukrainian captain and a Greek engineer, Greek coast guard officials said on Tuesday."}