INCIDENT OVER
Event: Hijack
IMB Level: 3
Date and Time: 15 May 2020
Location: Offshore Ivory Coast
Position: 04°09.11’N, 001°54.48’E (last known position)
Distance from Shore:
Unknown
Vessel Details
Type: Fishing Vessel
Event Details
Kidnapped: 0
Injured: 0
Killed: 0
Security Present: None
Threat Details
Number of Perpetrators: 10
Number of Craft: Not reported
Weapons Seen: Likely – not specified
Equipment Seen: Not reported
Description: A fishing trawler is suspected hijacked whilst sailing over 100nm off Togo and Benin. All communications to her failed, and AIS has been turned off. Last
information was that she was sailing east towards Nigerian waters.
If hijacked, it shows the continuing threat to vessels to the west of the Niger Delta and deep offshore Lomé and Cotonou. Pirates may also use her as a mother vessel
to support attacks on larger merchant vessels.
Update: Vessel was confirmed as hijacked and sailing towards Nigerian waters. A Nigerian Navy vessel mobilised from Lagos to intercept the hijacked vessel. The Nigerian Navy came
across her approx. 140nm south of Lagos, and after the fishing vessel refused to stop, the Navy boarded the vessel at approx. 2145hrs, 16 May 2020. The Nigerian Navy team secured the vessel, arrested the pirates and freed the Chinese, Ghanaian and Ivorian
crew members – all crew reported as safe and uninjured. Fishing vessel was escorted to Lagos.
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