Pirates hijack ship carrying oil from Ghana

Ten suspected pirates have hijacked a ship carrying oil from Ghana about 55 kilometres off the coast of Nigeria.

Greek official said the ship was carrying oil from Ghana to Benin when it was seized 55 kilometres off the Nigerian coast in the Gulf of Guinea on Saturday.

A commercial maritime security firm, Neptune Maritime Security, said on its website that the ship’s crew was said to include three Greeks and sailors of other nationalities. There has been no word on their condition.

A press release by the Greek coastal guards sighted by RIA Novosti confirmed the incident. It said the tanker was seized on Saturday but information about the incident was not released until today.

The Liberian-flagged ship is operated by Greece-based Endeavour Marine Company. The company had no comment as of Monday.

Last month, the International Maritime Bureau issued a piracy warning for ships travelling near Benin.

It said pirates had seized several vessels in the area this year, including a Greek-owned tanker on June 16.

The IMB’s top piracy official, Noel Choong, said the attacks off West Africa are worrying because they seem to involve a greater degree of violence against crew members.