A bulk carrier was chased down and boarded by pirates off Brass, Nigeria on April 7, 2018 .
The bulk carrier was sailing around 41 nautical miles south-southeast from Brass when four pirates in a speedboat armed with guns caught up with the tanker and came on board.
The crew managed to raise alarm and mustered in the citadel, the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre informed.
Nigerian Navy was notified and sent a patrol boat to the location. Once aware of the naval presence the pirates escaped the ship.
Before leaving the ship, pirates fired upon and damaged the ship’s equipment and accommodation. The perpetrators stole the ship’s cash and properties.
Once on the spot, naval personnel boarded the ship, rescued the crew and escorted the ship to a safe port, according to IMB.
IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre recorded 66 incidents in the first quarter of 2018, up from 43 for the same period in 2017. Worldwide in the first three months of 2018, 100 crew were taken hostage and 14 kidnapped from their vessels.
Nigeria alone recorded 22 incidents. Of the 11 vessels fired upon worldwide, eight were off Nigeria – including a 300,000 MT deadweight VLCC tanker more than 40nm off Brass.
World Maritime News Staff