A cargo ship off the coast of West Africa was boarded by pirates on May 29, resulting in the kidnapping of an injured crew member. The attack occurred between Nigeria and São Tomé and Príncipe, a region that has seen a resurgence in piracy, despite an overall decline in maritime crimes. The vessel, flagged in Curaçao, was traveling from Douala, Cameroon, to Matadi, Democratic Republic of Congo when seven armed assailants struck.
Most crew members secured themselves in the ship’s citadel and monitored the situation via CCTV, but the second engineer was injured and abducted. Initial confusion surrounded the identity of the kidnapped crew member, but updates later confirmed it was the second engineer. The attack caused equipment damage on the bridge, and the ship’s speed dropped significantly during the incident.
By May 31, authorities confirmed the ship was cleared of pirates, but the kidnapped crew member remained missing. Maritime security experts have advised vessels in the Gulf of Guinea to exercise heightened caution and consider armed security measures. Despite a decrease in piracy incidents, the region remains perilous, with pirates increasingly targeting high-value kidnappings.
