Six crew members, who were kidnapped by pirates from Monjasa Reformer, an oil and chemical tanker, in the Gulf of Guinea in late March have been rescued from an undisclosed location in Nigeria, as confirmed by the ship’s owner, Monjasa, on Monday.
The Danish-owned vessel was seized on March 25 by a group of five armed assailants approximately 140 miles west of Port Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo.
Monjasa Reformer had 16 crew members on board when the incident occurred.
The French Navy confirmed that six crew members had been kidnapped by the pirates. The navy managed to locate the vessel Monjasa Reformer after a six-day search in the Gulf of Guinea.
In a statement, Monjasa CEO Anders Ostergaard expressed relief, stating , “All recovered crew members are in relatively good health considering the challenging circumstances they endured over the past five weeks and more.”
Following their rescue, the crew members underwent thorough medical examinations and are now in the process of being repatriated to their respective home countries and reuniting with their families, Ostergaard further informed.
“Looking ahead, Monjasa urges for safe passage routes and safe zones in the Gulf of Guinea under an international coalition and we will gladly put our experience and knowledge into play as we continue working with our partners, authorities and fellow shipowners for a safe working environment for all seafarers,” the company said.
Monjasa Reformer is utilized in West Africa as part of Monjasa’s marine fuels operations worldwide, transporting marine gas oil, very low sulfur fuel oil, and high sulfur fuel oil products on its vessel.