Pirates in a fishing boat opened fire on a chemical vessel in a suspected robbery attempt off the coast of Nigeria, an international maritime agency said on Friday.
The International Maritime Bureau said the sailors of the vessel spotted a fishing boat with about eight “armed robbers” making “suspicious movements” on Thursday.
“Robbers opened fire while (they) attempted to board the tanker,” forcing the crew to increase speed, said the agency, adding the pirates chased the tanker for one hour before they gave up.
The attack took place around 50 miles (80 kilometres) off Nigeria’s largest city of Lagos.
The country’s navy later confirmed the attack adding its helicopters were searching for the tanker.
“I can confirm the attack was launched on a tanker,” Navy spokesman Aliyu Kabir said.
Neither the maritime agency nor the Nigerian navy could identify the vessel or provide its country of origin.
A maritime risk analyst agency last month forecast that cash-driven piracy and militant attacks against oil installations were likely to increase this year in Nigeria’s waters especially after the April elections.
The IMB lists Nigerian waters among the most piracy prone in Africa along with other Gulf of Guinea countries such as Cameroon, in addition to Somalia.
Most of the Nigerian attacks are aimed at kidnapping for ransom.
The Greek coastguard said on Friday that two Greek freighter officers seized last month by an armed gang in the oil-producing Niger Delta region have been released unharmed.
Feb122011