Heavily armed pirates have abducted two Russian sailors, including the master and the chief officer near Lagos anchorage.
Sources told DAILY NIGERIAN that the ship, which brought frozen fish to Nigeria, was attacked by a pirate ship near the anchorage on Tuesday.
DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that members of the crew are mostly Russians and Filipinos.
The sources, who preferred not to be named said the pirates are yet to make contact with their agents in Nigeria, the Africa Ports Service.
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, is yet to speak on the incident.
Towards efficiency and improved security at the ports, the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, has made concerted efforts to dismantle the Secure Anchorage Area operated on behalf of the Nigerian Navy by a private company.
In an October 2009 report by Thisday, the NPA insisted that the security of the country’s waterways was the statutory responsibility of the NIMASA, Marine Police, and Nigerian Navy not a private company.
A Secure Anchorage Area is an area outside the Lagos port that the Nigerian Navy, with a private company, has defined as a secure place where vessels can anchor safely from sea pirates.
According to the report, since year 2014 vessels, which stays between 28 and 30 days before exiting the anchorage, are charged $2,500 for the first day at the anchorage and $1,500 for subsequent days in the name of security.
