Suspected maritime pirates have kidnapped three crew members from a Lagos bound Togolese flagged bunkering vessel, MT STELIOS K with IMO number 8679209, following failed negotiations for their release with the vessel owners over a period of eight days. This is even as findings revealed that the Nigerian Navy has dispatched a vessel to locate the whereabouts of the vessel.
Suspected pirates had boarded the MT STELIOS K on the 16 of November 2020 at exactly 40 nautical miles South Lome.
According to Dryad Global on Monday, “The pirates left the MT STELIOS K at exactly 05°09N – 003°29E while she was at 180/75 nautical miles off Lagos, Nigeria. They left with three crew of the vessel after negotiations for their release failed.”
Recall that Togo flagged bunkering vessel STELIOS K (IMO8679209) was boarded and presumed hijacked while on route to Lagos. The company reported the loss of contact with the vessel resulting in authorities seeking to establish the vessel location and make contact with the crew.
“MDAT GoG later received confirmation that the attackers were still on board. Local authorities have been informed and negotiations are ongoing to secure the release of vessel and crew.
“AIS tracking shows that the vessel took two sharp turns off its course and slowed from 6.6kts to stopped before the AIS signal stopped. The vessel is understood to be remaining in position from where it lost contact, having still not appeared on AIS.
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“The lack of immediate kidnap could indicate that the perpetrators potentially sought options for either offloading or selling a refined product that may be onboard the vessel.
“This incidents is the second hijacking within the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) in 2020. Such incidents remain rare due to both their complexity and high risk of interdiction by maritime security forces. The last known Hijack occurred on the 15 May 2020 when the fishing vessels, HAILUFENG 11 lost contact with its company and disappeared from AIS. The vessel was latterly interdicted by Nigerian special forces resulting in the detention of the pirates, highlighting the risks of such operations and thus their rarity.
“Three people have now been confirmed kidnapped from the STELIOS K. This is the 23rd kidnapping incident in the Gulf of Guinea in 2020, with a total of 118 persons kidnapped.
“The Gulf of Guinea HRA was raised to a critical risk rating following a sharp increase in incidents in the past week, including 2 successful kidnappings within 3 days. Vessels are advised to exercise heightened caution in this region,” Dryad Global stated in an advt notice to other vessels.
In a related advisory notice, Italy based maritime consultancy firm, Praesidium International revealed that the Nigerian Navy has already dispatched a vessel to rescue the MT STELIOS K.
In its advisory notice released on Monday, Praesidium International stated that; “It has been confirmed from multiple sources that three crew members have indeed been kidnapped from the STELIOS K.
“Local authorities have been notified and a Nigerian Navy vessel is underway to try and intercept the kidnappers.”
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