Pirates have hijacked a Singapore-owned oil tanker in the Nigerian port of Lagos – the third attack in just over two weeks in the Gulf of Guinea, the International Maritime Bureau said on Wednesday.
The vessel, which had 23 crew on board, was laden with fuel, the bureau’s Kuala Lumpur-based piracy reporting centre said, adding that the pirates were sailing the ship into the open sea.
It did not say how the pirates hijacked the tanker on Tuesday evening.
“We have informed the Nigerian authorities who are taking action,” said Noel Choong, head of the IMB’s Malaysia-based piracy reporting centre.
The crew members had locked themselves in a safe room, said Choong, who added: “We are concerned about their safety and the spate of hijackings,” he said.
Pirates hijacked and looted two oil tankers off nearby Togo last month. The two ships and all crew members were later freed.