Despite Secure Anchorage Contract, Pirates Attack Vessel in Lagos, Kidnap 2 Russians
By DAPO OLAWUNI
Even as the controvertial Secure Anchorage Area (SAA) contract to a private firm by the Federal Government subsists at Lagos anchorage, daredevil pirates on Tuesday attacked a Liberian flagged vessel, Water Phoenix with IMO number 9045168 and kidnapped two Russian crew.
The ship was attacked while navigating 34 nautical miles, South of Lagos waters.
Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) as well as other maritime stakeholders have vehemently kicked against the Secured Anchorage Contract in which ships pay $2,000 daily into a private pocket, saying that the security of Nigerian waters should be returned back to Nigerian Navy and not committed into private hands.
According to Dryad Global, a UK based maritime security firm, This is the 13th reported incident in waters of the Lagos Port Complex and Anchorage in the past 12 months.
In a travel advisory issued by Praesidium International, an Italian based maritime security firm on Tuesday to other ships approaching Nigeria, the firm stated that the vessel master and another crew member, both Russians, were kidnapped while the remaining 16 crew members of the ship managed to retreat into the citadel, thus avoiding kidnap by the pirates.
According to the Praesidium International travel advisory, “On September 8, 2020, approximately 34 nautical miles south of Lagos, the Liberian flagged cargo vessel, Water Phoenix was attacked by an undisclosed number of men.
“Initial report revealed that the pirates managed to board the vessel and kidnap the Master and another crew member, both Russians. The remaining crew members numbering 16 managed to retreat into the citadel. The total crew is composed of 18 seafarers, seven Russians and 11 Filipinos.
“The Water Phoenix is owned by Seatrade Groningen B.V. Netherlands.”
According to Dryad Global “This is the 3rd offshore incidents in the waters south of Lagos within 2020. Currently, 93 personnel have been kidnapped from vessels in incidents off West Africa in 2020.
“The wider Nigerian EEZ remains the global heartland of maritime crime and piracy with incident volumes exceeding those of other areas.
It is the 42nd incident in Nigerian TTW in the past 12 months,” Dryad Global stated in it’s latest analysis on the development.
According to this write up,the vessel was attacked 34NM South of Lagos, this is not not SAA, and also the vessel was underway… The purpose of SAA is to provide security,safety while at anchored or either way requests for an Escort… All Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria waterways have been a threat to foreign vessel which SAA has been assisting to deal with the issue.