Pirates abduct 9 crew members from Norwegian shipping vessel off Benin

Nine members of a shipping vessel were abducted by a group of pirates who boarded the ship from the coast of Benin situated in the West Africa region on Saturday. The information was confirmed by J.J. Ugland, a Norwegian shipping company and the owner of the vessel. 

Nine crew members abducted from a shipping vessel

In a statement released by J.J. Ugland on Sunday, the details of the ship were disclosed to the international media. MV Bonita, the shipping vessel was waiting at the Cotonou port to release the shipment of gypsum when the Pirates boarded and kidnapped nine crew members on board. It was reported that the rest of the people present on the ship tried contacting the local official authorities. However, the shipping vessel was later found anchored at the port. The company’s spokesperson also said that the families of the nine crew members have been contacted and will be kept informed. Further, the statement read that more updates will be given as and when the information is confirmed and releasable to the media. 

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The Gulf of Guinea, a ‘world piracy hotspot’

The Gulf of Guinea, where the incident took place is considered one of the most dangerous places. There have been several incidents of abduction and piracy in the area. In a report released by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), which is aimed at eliminating the maritime crime, termed the Gulf of Guinea a ‘world piracy hotspot’. It accounts for 73% of sea kidnapping and 92% of hostage-takings. The pirates have been executing kidnappings in high-risk waters, where 27 crew members were kidnapped in the first half of 2019. Apart from that, there were reports of two chemical tankers that were hijacked. The report said that “Of the nine vessels fired upon worldwide, eight were off the coast of Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer. These attacks took place on average 65 nautical miles off the coast – meaning they are classified as acts of piracy.”

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