INSECURITY: Pirates Attack Chemical Tanker; New Ranger, Twice Over the Weekend

A chemical tanker, New Ranger suffered an attack on Saturday 5th December and again on Sunday 6th of December 2020.

On December 5, 2020, the product tanker was attacked at around 0720 UTC in Gulf of Guinea, some 200 nautical miles south of Lagos Nigeria, while en route from Luba Equatorial Guinea, to Douala Cameroon.

Reportedly the ship was boarded, however the AIS went off at the time of attack, and later reappeared half an hour later.

At 1220 UTC she was steaming at her cruising speed, in general direction of her port of destination.
The crew managed to shelter in citadel, while pirates looted superstructure.

The tanker was attacked and boarded again, at around 0300 UTC Dec 6, some 125 SWS of Bonny Nigeria.

Hopefully pirates already fled and crew remained safe – as of 0900 UTC, tanker was under way full speed, in direction of her port of destination. AIS was on during all the time.

Also on Saturday December 5th 2020, at 6.20 a.m. UTC, another vessel; ‘Verrazane’ was approached approximately 210 nm South of Lagos in pos. 02 59.8N 002 56.4E by pirates.

The alarm was raised and the accompanying security escort vessel (SEV) was vectored towards the approaching speedboat. The perpetrators abandoned the approach on spotting the SEV.

Meanwhile, Pirates had also attacked a vessel called; the ‘Cool Girl’ in the Gulf of Guinea on Dec 3, 2020, at 1.35 a.m. in position 02 50 03N, 005 25 58E, about 38 nautical miles southwest of the Agbami Terminal.

The vessel was approached and attacked by two speed boats with six to eight pirates in each of them.

The vessel started anti-piracy measures, increased speed, and the crew members retreated into the citadel. The pirates fired at the vessel, hitting the bridge, which suffered a number of bullet impact holes.

The embarked Nigerian Navy guards on the vessel responded the fire, resulting in the speed boats breaking off the pursuit and fleeing the area. The vessel and crew were reported to be safe. On Dec 4 at 11.45 a.m. the ship dropped anchor in Bnny River Anchorage.