Pirates open fire, fail to board Nigerian tanker

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Pirates open fire, fail to board Nigerian tanker

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The ship managed to escape after crew members enforced anti-piracy measures.

01 March,2012 10:03 am

An international maritime watchdog says pirates have attacked a ship off the coast of Nigeria for the second time in as many days, but this time the attackers were thwarted by a quick-acting crew.Noel Choong, a Malaysia-based official with the International Maritime Bureau, says pirates opened fire Wednesday on a Nigerian-owned oil tanker about 80 nautical miles off Port Harcourt. He says the ship managed to escape after crew members enforced anti-piracy measures and increased vessel speed.On Tuesday, eight Nigerian pirates robbed a cargo ship anchored at Port Harcourt and kidnapped at least two crew members. The U.N. has warned that pirate attacks off West Africas Gulf of Guinea are becoming more common and violent.