Reporting by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has indicated that a vessel has been boarded 55nm SSW of Cotonou, says a Safety4sea article.
Nature of the incident remains uncertain
Reports indicate that all crew have reached the citadel. The vessel is understood to have been outbound from Lagos. There are 21 crew members on board, all believed to be Indian nationals, according to Dryad Global.
The precise nature of the incident remains uncertain at this time however the incident is not thought to be a piracy event. Unverified reporting indicates that the incident may be linked to an ongoing military operation by the Nigerian Navy. The Nigerian Navy have previously operated within waters off Benin, notably in an operation involving the attempted kidnap of crew from the TOMMI RITSCHER in April 2020.
Decline in piracy
There have been no reported incidents within the waters off Benin and Togo since the 31 May 2021. Last week, Dryad Global published its Annual Report 2021, demonstrating that the global maritime security picture in 2021 was defined by an ever-increasing complex web of threat actors.
According to Dryad Global, the decline in piracy throughout West Africa in 2021 saw overall incidents of piracy and maritime crime decline by 56% compared to 2020. Incidents of actual and attempted attacks and vessels being fired upon dropped by more than 85%. The number of vessels boarded throughout the region fell by 54%. Incidents of vessels being boarded, and crews kidnapped declined by 60%.
Did you subscribe to our newsletter?
It’s free! Click here to subscribe!
Source: Safety4sea
