Ten crew members of a bulk carrier are reported missing following a pirate attack that took place around 32 nautical miles south of Brass, Nigeria.
The unnamed bulker was boarded by six pirates from a small boat while underway on December 14, according to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre.
The mariners are believed to have been kidnapped for ransom.
“Pirate Action Group (PAG) stalking waters off the Niger Delta may have abducted up to 10 crew from a bulk carrier south of Brass,” maritime security firm Dryad Maritime informed.
The remaining crew onboard sailed the vessel to a safe port, IMB said.
An investigation into the incident is underway.
The attack took place on the same day when a group of four to five persons in a wooden boat approached and tried to board a general cargo ship underway.
The ship was en route some 19 nautical miles south of Brass, Nigeria.
The boarding was thwarted as the master increased speed and took anti-piracy measures, the piracy watchdog reported.
The number of reported attacks off the Niger Delta keeps on ramping up, with over 15 attacks reported over the recent weeks.
This year alone, 56 mariners have been kidnapped off the Niger Delta, Dryad Maritime said, not counting the latest casualties.
This is despite the efforts of the Nigerian Navy to detain those responsible for the recent attacks, even though they are said to have the description of an alleged mother vessel preying on the vessels in the region.
World Maritime News Staff