Suspected Nigerian pirates attack Walvis 7
… Kidnap Master, Engr
In yet another incident in the spate of attacks in recent months signposting the West African Coast as dangerous, the Honduran Master and Ukranian Engineer have been taken by suspected pirates from an anchor-handler, the Walvis 7, off Nigeria.
The Information Policy Department of Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said that the Engineer, a Ukrainian citizen, and the Honduran Captain were kidnapped from the 4,200-gt Walvis 7 (built 1982) off Pennington on Sunday.
The duo, according to the Ukranian Foreign Ministry statement, were taken towards an unidentified direction.
18 other crew were left to continue their voyage after the gunmen had stolen personal possessions in the incident.
“The rest of the crew members – 18 citizens of Nigeria – arrived at the port,” the statement read.
The vessel was raided in the evening as she headed from Onne to Escravos.
Two speedboats with six armed men in each boarded the ship.
The anchor-handler is managed by Walvis International of Nigeria.
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