NAVY KILLS 12 SUSPECTED PIRATES, ARRESTS 4

Source: VANGUARD

THE Nigerian Navy, NN, Sunday, killed 12 suspected pirates who
allegedly hijacked an ocean-going vessel,MT Notre,carrying 17,000
metric tonne of petrol motor spirit, PMS, in the Gulf of Guinea, last
Thursday.
Four of the suspects were captured alive and are currently being
detained at...
NNS Delta in Warri, Delta State.
Flag Officer Commanding, FOC, Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral
Sidi-Ali Hassan told newsmen in Warri that the vessel with the
product was recovered by naval personnel after a 30-minute gun battle
with the oil thieves along the Forcados flank of the western Niger
Delta.
The Nigerian Navy sent an emergency signal through the Flag Officer
Commanding, FOC, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral I.E. Ibas as soon
as report of the hijack was made.
A security alarm was immediately declared andNNS ANDONIandNNS IKOT
ABASIwere dispatched to engage the bandits.
Also deployed were six other gunboats and NN vessels increment from
NNS Delta in Warri and the Navy Operation Base in Egweama,
BrassIsland.
According to Rear Admiral Hassan, "8 NN vessels were used in pursuit
of the hijacked MT Norte with 16 suspected pirates on board. The
participating ships eventually shadowed the hijackedvessel and forced
her back into Nigerian waters."
"An agreed drop point was reached but the suspected militants refused
to disembark as earlier agreed. They obviously were playing for time
and darkness to set in. They finally agreed to disembark from MT Norte
at 2045hrs on 17th of August 2013 oncondition that only one NN vessel
would remain in the vicinity of the MT Norte.
"A total of 16 militants disembarked from the MT Norte insteadof 20
that were earlier claimed to be on board. The captain also confirmed
that no other militant was left on board and no crewmember from MT
Norte was taken hostage. After disembarking from the ship, the
hijackers made a fast move towards the coastline," he said.
Hassan added, "Accordingly, NNS Badagry immediately engagedthe boat in
hot pursuit. Efforts to get the hijackers to stop and surrender proved
abortive as they engage NNS Badagry in a gun battle."
He disclosed that the gun battle lasted for about 30 minutes after
which the pirates were overpowered by the NN gunboat.
"On taking over the speedboat, four of the militants were alive and
unhurt while the rest of the pirates were killed in the crossfire. The
four survivors, their belongings and three AK 47 rifleswere recovered
and brought on board NNS Badagry base," he said.
Rear Admiral Usman said the survivors currently detained at the NNS
Delta have made useful confession to the Navy in its investigation.
He said that the corpses of the sea-pirates were not recovered, as
their boat sank because of the damage inflicted on it.
The FOC commended the coordinated nature of the response by the
various participating units and commands of the Nigerian Navy as well
as the outstanding performance of the Maritime Patrol Aircraft from
the Nigerian Air Force, which gave impetus to efforts to keep the
hijacked vessel under constant watch.