Tug Attacked off Nigeria
Armada Century-managed offshore tug was attacked off Brass, Nigeria. An unknown number of crew were reported kidnapped.
An offshore tug Orcus reportedly intercepted VHF distress call from offshore supply tug Armada Tuah 101 at 13:06 (local time) 17 February.
Malaysia-flagged offshore tug, Armada Tuah 101, was attacked and boarded by pirates at 0700 UTC in position 03:57.4N – 005:20.8E, around 55nm WSW of Brass, Nigeria. Pirates boarded the vessel and were reported to have kidnapped all foreign crew from the mixed foreign/Nigerian crew. The number of crew and their respective nationalities are unknown at the time of reporting.
The remaining crew were able to take the vessel to Onne, arriving February 18, and safely berthed.
Offshore supply tug Armada Tuah 101, IMO 9387293, 2147 gt, built 2007, is managed by Armada Century Ltd.
Four vessels were attacked during a 10-day period in this area, including the hijack and release of an offshore supply vessel, Armada Tugas 1, tanker Esther C with 3 crew kidnapped, Nigeria-flagged offshore supply ship Walvis 7 with 2 crew kidnapped and general cargo ship, Safmarine Sahel.
As the piracy focus has shifted to the Gulf of Guinea in recent months, the theft of oil cargo and the increasing instance of crew kidnapping, demonstrates the difficulty in maritime security in the region and the dangers faced by seafarers, however, the threat of violence has been well documented in recent years.
Source: http://www.maritime-executive.com/
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