Polish ship attacked off Nigeria coast, five sailors held, Poland says

Source

Five Polish sailors are being held by kidnappers after a cargo ship belonging to a Polish company was attacked off the Nigerian coast, an incident Poland says highlights the need to review safety procedures of vessels operating in the area. Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski told a news conference of Friday that kidnappers had made no demands so far, and that Poland was liaising with Nigerian authorities, but would not get involved directly unless asked to do so. "This is a responsibility of the sovereign state of Nigeria," Waszczykowski said. No traces of blood were discovered on the ship, which operates under the Cyprus flag, he said. The kidnapped sailors included the captain and officers. "The rest of the crew, 11 people, are still on the ship and they are safe... The ship suffered some damage," Waszczykowski said. The ship is currently anchored around 30 sea miles - roughly 56 kilometers - off the Nigerian coast, with the operator arranging for a new crew to take it back to port. The area where the kidnapping took place was not traditionally frequented by pirates, Polish Maritime Minister Marek Grobarczyk said. Grobarczyk said the safety procedures of all Polish companies operating in the area would now be reviewed to ensure sailors' safety.

Source 2

Sad friday news. I think it is just another move of some groups related to IS. This is not an accident that pirates hit the polish ship, all crew were Poles. I wonder who gonna take responsibility. Boko Haram? No one demand anything at this time. Nigeria army are oparating in this region. Our goverment should react hard and clever. I hope everything gonna be ok.

The ship, named Szafir (Sapphire), had been sailing from the Belgian port of Antwerp to Onee in Nigeria, and it belongs to Polish company Euroafrica, based in Szczecin, north western Poland. It is understood that the Nigerian navy is engaged in a rescue operation. A woman whose husband is apparently onboard the vessel has told Poland's TVN 24 station that “more than a dozen sailors locked themselves in the engine room and turned off the engines.” (nh/rk) Source: IAR/TVN

#prayforNigeria

this is why i say that all international ships sailing around Africa, should be allowed to carry arms and mounted 50cal and 20mm cannon on deck with trained personal to use them.

blow the bastards out of the water, and kill them when they board and chunk them back a few times and they would quit that sh@@.

Do you know what kinds of goods where on the ship? I looked up the company Euroafrica and found that they ship general cargo containers, which says to me they ship just about whatever you want to pay them to ship.

Perhaps this ship was full of diamonds or guns or both...

Interesting news story. I would hate to see the Nigeria-Poland war.

a reply to: hounddoghowlie

Agreed. I am shocked that they are not armed. The only way to beat these scum (if they are in deed IS) is to be bale to neutralize them upon first contact. ...

a reply to: ReadLeader

not only isis, any pirates that operate off the coast of africa, or any coast that they repeatedly attack shipping. if you give in and pay their demands, or if you wait and send in a SOP team or other response team to get them the hostages may not survive.

they care not about international law and are only driven by money. me i would rather not wait on help from some foreign country or my own, i would rather go down fighting than to be held hostage by pieces of excrement, that may or may not kill me and turn around and do it again.

originally posted by: hubrisinxs
Do you know what kinds of goods where on the ship? I looked up the company Euroafrica and found that they ship general cargo containers, which says to me they ship just about whatever you want to pay them to ship.

Perhaps this ship was full of diamonds or guns or both...

Interesting news story. I would hate to see the Nigeria-Poland war.

It will be no war beetwen Nigeria and Poland, we have good relations. The ship is break bulk cargo/general cargo.


source 3

The Szafir, owned by the shipping company EuroAfrica, was carrying metal and other items, according to Reuters news agency.

a reply to: residentofearth

Good to hear.

But, yeah if it was just simple cargo stuff, then this is just an international pirate kidnapping. I do hope the sailors make it home alive.

Yup this video shows a prepared ship defending against pirates they quickly become shark food. This level of protection should be mandatory. It always ends with someone getting shot might as well be the pirate.


They take a no survivors approach and after the pirate ship gets swept back by the wake the defender takes about 20 more shots, finishing them off. You can tell he is aiming a bit more then befor where he just sprays bullets down at them as they try to board.

m.youtube.com...


a reply to: residentofearth

This is why CIWS need to be installed on ships sailing in these locations. To prevent this kind of nonsense.

a reply to: yuppa

source

but nothing how they get them, thanks they are safe.

The kidnapped Polish crew, including the captain of the Cyprus-flagged MV Szafir cargo ship has been released, Polish Foreign Affairs Ministry informed. “We would like to announce that the five Polish sailors who were abducted off the Nigerian coast on 27 November have been released. They are safe and sound, and will soon return home. At the moment, they are under the protection of Poland’s consular services in Nigeria,” the Ministry’s Spokesperson Artur Dmochowski said. The vessel, which is owned by Voltaire Shipping Company and operated by Euroafrica Services Nigeria Limited, was en route to Onne port from Antwerp when it was attacked. A group of armed men boarded Szafir approximately seven nautical miles east of Brass at about 01:49 hours local time and took five crew members hostage, including three officers and the captain. The remaining 11 members of the crew managed to escape the pirates by barricading themselves inside the ship’s engine room. They had made their way to Poland beforehand and they are now with their families, according to the update. “The abduction of the Polish sailors and efforts to achieve a happy solution have been a priority for the Polish authorities and Euroafrica, the ship owner, which conducted difficult and protracted negotiations with the kidnappers,” Dmochowski added, without specifying the terms of the crew’s release. The Polish government had established an interdepartamental emergency task force which cooperated with the ship owner and the Nigerian services to free the abducted crew.