Nigerian Pirates Attack Cargo Vessel

A maritime expert has confirmed to various news outlets that a cargo vessel has been attacked by Nigerian pirates off the coast of Nigeria in the Gulf of Guinea.

This is latest in what appears to be a series of high-sea strikes in the Gulf of Guinea.

The CMA CGM Turquoise – which is managed by Dioryx Maritime in Greece – was seized last week as it was travelling between the commercial hub in Lagos and Douala in Cameroon.

According to the maritime expert, two of the vessel’s crew members had been kidnapped.

This attack was also the second for that day. According to other reports by the Nigerian Navy, another cargo vessel – the M/T Puli – was also seized by Pirates early that same day. This time around, six crew members were kidnapped.

This vessel was a Turkish cargo ship. In response to the attack on the Turkish cargo vessel, a spokesperson for the  Denmark-based Risk Intelligence firm AFP, told reporters that the attack was based on the element of surprise, meaning that the crew was not prepared for the attack:

“…This attack – like most others off the Niger Delta – was carried out at night and carried an element of surprise,” he said.

He also continued saying that the two crew members that were kidnapped on the CMA CGM Turquoise was an Egyptian national as well as a Filipino national:

“…The crew mustered in the citadel after the attackers had boarded the ship, but two crew members – the Filipino 2nd officer and the Egyptian electrician – did not make it there in time and were seized by the attackers,” he said.

He continued saying that information thus far suggests that the attack was unusual and may indicate that the pirates were intent on kidnapping – rather than simply ambushing the vessel for fuel cargo.

The Gulf of Guinea has long since been a target for pirates looking to ambush cargo vessels traveling between Nigeria and Cameroon.