Ship escapes pirate attack south of Bonny Island

Liberia-flagged containership MV Lana escaped pirate attack on Friday while sailing south of Bonny Island, Nigeria.

A skiff with six people on board attacked the ship and fired shots at the vessel, according to Dryad Global.

The attack took place 99 nautical miles south off Bonny Island, and 30 nautical miles south-east from the Engine Terminal.

“The vessel increased speed and conducted anti-piracy maneuvers. It is understood that the perpetrators were unable to board the vessel and were seen to withdrew heading east. The vessel and crew remain safe,” the incident report stated. 

West African consultancy Praesidium International said its team had established contact with the vessel’s master, who confirmed that a speedboat with up to eight people on board attacked the ship.

The ship and the crew are safe and the vessel is proceeding to its next destination, which is Marocco.

The area where the attack occurred hasn’t seen much pirate activity, and according to Dryad, it is the first such incident to take place in 2020. Over the previous few days, several attacks were reported further west.

“It is assessed that incidents in this area have been perpetuated by the relative absence of formalised security presence throughout the area. Perpetrators operating within this area have relative freedom of movement to conduct operations against vulnerable vessels. International Maritime response has improved recently with the Portuguese Navy establishing a semi-permanent presence out of Santo Antonio, however, security coverage of the area remains limited,” Dryad said.