EFCC
captured vessel
How Nigerian
EFCC
captured vessel
How Nigerian Ambassador Secured Release of Vessels,
Crewmen in E/Guinea
The Nigerian Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea, Toko Ali
Gongulong, together with the assistance of the Defence Attache’,
Navy Captain Seyi Oladipo, and officials of the Nigerian Maritime
Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), facilitated the release
of the Nigerian-flagged vessel, MV CHARIS, which was attacked by
unknown assailants on May 5, NewsDigest has gathered.
The MV CHARIS, which was rescued by personnel of the Spanish
Army and handed to the Equitorial Guinea’s Government, has been
released to Nigeria, after the intervention of Mr. Gongulong.
Reports had circulated on certain online news platforms earlier
in the week claiming that Nigerian crewmen were arrested in Malabo,
Equatorial Guinea, on suspicion of involvement in piracy
activities.
The President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Nguema Obiang
Mangue, also went on air, on their national radio, to announce that
10 sea pirates of Nigerian origin were arrested with regard to an
attack on a vessel, MV BLUE MARLIN.
It was on this premise that the Nigerian Ambassador, the Defence
Attaché, and officials of NIMASA, in a combined effort, moved to
correct the erroneous information and thereafter secure the release
of the Nigerian crew.
Meanwhile, a clearer light on the details of the incident
involving the Nigerian-flagged vessel, MV CHARIS, has now emerged.
MV CHARIS is a tugboat, which was on its way to execute a vessel
recovery contract in Equatorial Guinean territorial waters, when it
was attacked by unknown armed assailants on Sunday, May 5,
2019.
The vessel was commandeered by the attackers and used to attack
the much larger Maltese-flagged vessel, MV BLUE MARLIN, around the
same area of the initial attack. However, in the latter case, the
Captain of MV BLUE MARLIN was able to send a distress call, which
was responded to by a Spanish Navy vessel.
It was the intervention of the Spanish Navy that stopped the
attack, as the attackers took to their heels at the approach of the
naval ship. The fate of some of the assailants is still
undetermined.
Both MV BLUE MARLIN and the MV CHARIS were subsequently handed
over to the Equatorial Guinea Navy by the Spanish Navy, as the
incident was clearly in their jurisdiction.
At this point, a misunderstanding of the specifics occurred
between the arresting authorities because on arrival in Malabo, MV
BLUE MARLIN was docked for repairs, with its crew treated decently,
while MV CHARIS and its crew were detained by the police under
threat of being charged with piracy, whereas they were equally
attacked and hijacked by the pirates.
However, the eventual release of MV CHARIS and its crew was made
possible by the joint effort of the Nigerian Ambassador, the
Defence Attaché, and officials of NIMASA.