Pirates Abduct 11 Crew Members Of A Container Ship Off Nigeria Coast
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Pirates have kidnapped 11 crew members of a container ship near the coast of Nigeria according to the ship’s management firm and Poland state media.
The ship ‘MV Pomerania Sky’ was attacked on Saturday when it was on its way to the Nigerian port of Onne, the ship’s firm Midocean (IOM) Ltd said in a statement.
The statement added that nine others crew members were left unharmed and remain onboard.
Image for representation purpose only. Credits: IMO Collection/flikr.com
Eight of the crew members are said to be from Poland, Polish media said based on statements by Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz. The nationalities of the remaining kidnapped crew are not yet known. No details have so far been released by Midocean regarding the crew.
The company said that the families of those abducted were being kept informed of the developments. It further added that the vessel had moved to safe waters.
A spokesperson from the Nigerian Navy has said that an investigation has been launched into the incident and updates will be soon shared on the situation. A search and rescue mission has also been launched by it to secure those abducted, to which Midocean is contributing.
Piracy and abduction of sailors are a common occurrence in Nigeria and particularly in the Gulf of Guinea.
A recent report released by IMB noted that in the first nine months of this year, a total of 156 incidents of piracy have been recorded. Of these incidents, 57 occurred in the Gulf of Guinea with a majority (41) taking place near Nigeria.
Source: Maritime Shipping News