Nigeria navy rescues hijacked Singapore-owned oil tanker

Nigeria Navy SBS Commandos prepare for sea exercise. PHOTO/File

Nigeria’s navy says it has rescued a Singapore-owned oil tanker hijacked by pirates on Tuesday night.

Nigeria navy spokesman Kabir Aliyu told the BBC the crew was safe, the hijackers had fled and the vessel, the Abu Dhabi Star, was being escorted into the port of Lagos.

Earlier, the navy denied reports that the tanker was seized in the port.

Pirate attacks and activity though increasing, is quite rare in the waters of West Africa.

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) told the AFP news agency that 23 crew members were on board when the tanker was captured and they had locked themselves in a safe room.

Noel Choong, head of the IMB’s Malaysia-based piracy reporting centre, said those behind the attack may be the same criminal syndicate that seized two tankers off Togo last month, siphoned off the oil and later released the crew and ships.

Last year, Nigeria and neighboring Benin began joint naval patrols in an effort to combat the threat of pirates.

Sources: BBC; AFP