Reported hijack in Gulf of Guinea – Maritime Security Alert (2 May 2012)
A maritime security alert has been issued for the Gulf of Guinea after a product tanker was reported hijacked on 30 April. Reports suggest the owners received a phone call from the master believed to be acting under duress on board the vessel which was anchored off Lome, Togo.
24 crew members are on board. Further details were unavailable at the time of writing. If successfully hijacked, the vessel will likely sail offshore where its cargo will be offloaded over a period of less up to ten days, as is common with tanker hijackings in the region.
Anchorages off Lome, Cotonou, Lagos, and Port Harcourt are highly susceptible to incidents of armed robbery, kidnap, and possible hijackings. Local coast guard and naval capacity is generally insufficient to carry out patrols or provide a reliable emergency response.
