Reportedly, a Turkish ship was attacked by pirates off the coast of Nigeria in what is suspected to be a kidnapping for ransom. Ten Turkish sailors were taken hostage by gunmen. Local media sources reported that the pirates approached the ship on speed boats and seized the sailors. They have not been heard from since.
The shipping company, Kadioglu Denizcilik, said in a statement the vessel was attacked by “pirates” on its way from Cameroon to the Ivory Coast. The ship was carrying 18 crew members at the time – all Turkish citizens. The eight remaining crew were rescued and taken to Ghana, the ministry said.
The Turkish-flagged Paksoy-1 cargo ship was boarded in the Gulf of Guinea without any freight on board, Kadioglu said on Tuesday. Turkey’s foreign ministry said the sailors were seized on Saturday evening.
“According to initial information, there were no injuries or casualties. Efforts for all our personnel to be safely released continue,” the company said.
‘Most dangerous’
The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) recently described the Gulf of Guinea as the most dangerous area in the world for shipping; 73% of all sea kidnappings and 92% of hostage-takings occur there, with pirates normally taking sailors for ransom.
Armed pirates kidnapped 27 crew members in the first half of 2019. Of nine vessels fired upon worldwide, eight were off the coast of Nigeria.
