The Maritime Trade Information Sharing Centre-Gulf of Guinea (MTISC-GoG) has reported on three armed pirate attacks off the coast of Nigeria between 4 and 7 May.
On 4 May, the MTISC-GOG received a report from a vessel, that a speedboat was approaching a vessel located 60 NM SW of Brass, Nigeria. The armed guards on board the vessel opened fire to prevent the pirates from boarding, and the pirates aborted the attack.
A similar attack took place on 5 May, 36 NM SW of Bayelsa coast, Nigeria. Armed pirates in a speedboat chased and fired upon a tanker underway. This attack was thwarted by Navy personnel on board and anti-piracy measures.
On 7 May, another tanker was chased off the coast of Nigeria by two speedboats carrying armed pirates who fired upon the tanker. The attack was aborted due to presence of seven Navy personnel that were on board the vessel and the implementation of anti-piracy measures. The exchange of fire lasted for twenty minutes, and several bullets penetrated the cabins and alleyway. A ladder was observed in the speedboats. The crew mustered in the citadel during the attack.
The vessels could all proceed to their destinations, with no crew harmed, thanks to armed guards on board.
The MTISC-GOG urges all vessels within the vicinity of these attacks to operate with a heightened level of security and to report any suspicious activity to info@mtiscgog.org.
