Pirates hijack tanker off Nigerian coast

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Pirates hijack tanker off Nigerian coast

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Pirates have hijacked an oil tanker and its crew off the Nigerian coast.

11 October,2011 05:55 pm

The pirates boarded the tanker, believed to be a Marshall Islands-flagged vessel, on Saturday, IMB manager Cyrus Mody told AFP from London.“The vessel is still under captivity, We believe the crew is still on board, according to the official of the piracy watchdog, who added that there was no indication that the crew has been taken away.”According to a report, the attack took place around 90 nautical miles south of Lagos, Nigerias economic capital. The coast of Nigeria, Africas largest oil producer, is reputed to be dangerous, with pirates hijacking ships, mostly loaded with crude, from the oil-rich Niger Delta, for sale on the regions lucrative black market.Last October 2, pirates armed with automatic weapons fired upon and boarded a chemical tanker off neighbouring Benin before stealing cash, the latest in a wave of such attacks off west Africa, IMB said. The coast of Benin, has seen some 20 piracy incidents this year compared with none last year. Piracy has long been a problem off Nigeria.Benin and Nigeria launched joint sea patrols last month to tackle the surge in piracy that has raised alarm in the shipping industry, with attacks seeing crews held hostage and fuel stolen.