Third hijacking in seven days; Stelios K vessel hijacked near Togo on its way to Lagos

"The lack of immediate kidnap would indicate that the perpetrators potentially sought options for either offloading or selling refined product that may be onboard,” Dryad Global.

A hijacking incident near south Lome earlier this week has enraged the already critical situation of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, according to a report by Splash 247.com. 

Dryad Global, the Maritime safety consultancy, reportedly said that Togo-flagged bunker vessel Stelios K which was boarded to Lagos was hijacked on its way. It also reported that after losing contact with the operator, the consultancy tried to establish the vessel's location and tried to reach the crew. 

After receiving the confirmation of hijackers' presence on board, the Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade – Gulf of Guinea (MDAT-GoG) informed local authorities while asking for negotiations. The authorities have been negotiating for the release of the vessel and the crew on the board as per the reports.  

The crew on board are expected to be safe, as Dryad Global said, “the lack of immediate kidnap would indicate that the perpetrators potentially sought options for either offloading or selling refined product that may be onboard,”. 

The hijacking of Stelios K is the third incident in the last seven days, as another cargo vessel Am Delta with five crew on board, and another Chinese heavylift ship Zhen Hua 7, with 14 crew onboard was seized. 

Looking at the alarming condition, Dryad Global warned, “the Gulf of Guinea HRA was raised to a critical risk rating following a sharp increase in incidents in the past week, including 2 successful kidnappings within 3 days. Vessels are advised to exercise heightened caution in this region".