Offshore Vessel Was Attacked and Approached by Pirates in Nigeria

Offshore Vessel Was Attacked and Approached by Pirates in Nigeria
December 7, 2018 http://www.maritimeherald.com/2018/offshore-vessel-was-attacked-and-appr...

An offshore vessel was attacked and approached by pirates on Tuesday on their way to an FPSO off the coast of Nigeria.

An analyst at the EOS Risk Group shared a social media post on Tuesday that pirates boarded the Saavedra Tide maritime support ship while the ship was on its way to Abo camp for Aegina’s FPSO. The vessel is owned by Tidewater.

The incident allegedly happened at 18:00 local time, 22.5 nm WNW of Aegina FPSO.

Jake Longworth, a senior intelligence analyst at the EOS Risk Group who shared the news, said: “As a break-in incident, details remain scarce and it is currently unclear whether pirates remain on board. The likely modus operandi is kidnapping for rescue, but with the crew allegedly locked inside the citadel, the PAG may attempt to attack other vessels nearby until a successful hijacking is achieved, “said EOS Risk Group analyst.

He warned that vessels near the fields of Egina, Akpo and Agbami should maintain greater vigilance.

Offshore Energy Today he came to the EOS Group analyst for more information.

Responding to our question, Longworth said that the ship was believed to have been released by hijackers at around 10 pm local time, with the crew emerging from the citadel later.

The analyst at the EOS Risk Group told Offshore Energy Today that there are no reports of kidnapping and that the status of the pirate group is unknown, but “they may still be at sea.”

Offshore Energy Today also reached the Nigerian defense forces and Tidewater for confirmation and more information.

A Tidewater spokesman eventually responded by confirming that the incident had taken place.

The spokesman said Wednesday afternoon: “We can confirm that the M / V Saavedra Tide was shipped yesterday. At this point, the ship and the crew are safely back to port if they are no longer there. Additional details will be reported.
Armed and violent

According to a recent International Maritime Bureau report, during the nine months ended September 30, 2018, there were 41 effective attacks and attempted attacks on ships in Nigeria, which was the largest number in the world in the period. Nigeria is followed by Indonesia, which has had 31 attacks.

As for Africa, no one comes close to Nigeria, as the two nations that share the second place in the number of effective attacks and attempts are Benin and Ghana, with five incidents reported each for the nine months of 2018. It is worth noting that many attacks are not reported.

The Senior Intelligence Analyst said: “Shipping companies operating in West Africa need to understand the myriad security risks that are present and how best to mitigate them. Investing in adequate intelligence and advisory support may sometimes seem like an unnecessary cost, but expert advice and risk assessments can help prevent or lessen the impact of security incidents with potentially serious financial, legal and reputational consequences. “