Boarding - 118NM Southwest of Bonny, Nigeria

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Incident Details

Incident Date & Time:

30 May 2025 : 16:25 UTC

Location:

118NM Southwest of Bonny, Nigeria

Latitude/Longitude: 

2° 30' 0.00" N, 6° 31' 0.00" E

Vessel Name, Type, Flag & Status

 Refrigerated Cargo Ship

Incident Type: 

Boarding

Crew status

No injuries reported

Incident Details

Description

On 2025-05-30 at 16:25 UTC, seven armed pirates boarded a Refrigerated Cargo Ship approximately 118NM Southwest of Bonny, Nigeria. The majority of the crew mustered in the citadel and monitored the incident via CCTV. The pirates, armed with gun-like objects, kidnapped the Second Engineer and damaged parts of the vessel's bridge equipment. Blood stains were identified near a ladder used by the pirates. A Nigerian Naval team responded to the distress call, boarded the ship, and assisted the crew. Local authorities conducted a search of the vessel in the early hours of 2025-05-31, confirming no perpetrators remained aboard. The remaining crew exited the citadel safely. The vessel was escorted to a safe port.

Response Actions

- Security Incident Reported

- Naval

- Other Authorities

Stolen items

- Other Items

Key findings

This incident demonstrates a sophisticated attack strategy, with the pirates specifically targeting crew members outside the citadel. The kidnapping of the Second Engineer suggests a deliberate attempt to acquire a high-value hostage, likely for ransom. The damage to bridge equipment indicates an effort to disable communications and navigation systems, a common tactic to delay response and facilitate escape. The rapid response by the Nigerian Navy highlights improved regional maritime security cooperation, though it was not quick enough to prevent the kidnapping. The use of the ship's CCTV by the crew in the citadel proved valuable for situational awareness and post-incident investigation

Recommendations

- Implement a buddy system to ensure no crew members are left vulnerable during transit through high-risk areas.

- Conduct regular drills to minimize the time required for all crew to muster in the citadel.

- Install additional security measures (e.g., locked doors, surveillance) in engineering spaces to protect key personnel.

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