Pirate attack foiled off Nigeria

Praesidium International reports that the crew of a commercial tanker have successfully prevented their vessel from being boarded by pirates during an incident in the Gulf of Guinea off Nigeria on Saturday, November 7.

At around 16:20 UTC, the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Wesley was approached by seven armed men on board a skiff approximately 130 nautical miles south of Escravos.

The tanker’s captain performed evasive manoeuvres and the onboard security team fired warning shots at the skiff as the remainder of the crew sought refuge in the citadel.

The warning shots then forced the pirates to abandon their attempt to approach the tanker. Their skiff was last seen heading away from the area.

The attempted boarding of Wesley occurred within just hours of an earlier unsuccessful attack by pirates on the Singaporean-flagged tanker Torm Alexandra in the same waters. However, local authorities say it remains unclear whether a single armed group had been responsible for both incidents.