No fewer than six men suspected to have hijacked an oil tanker off the coast of Cote d’Indigenous, were Monday, paraded by the Nigerian Navy in Lagos state.
DAILY POST recalls that the Navy yesterday, arrested six suspected pirates who seized the oil tanker.
Parading the suspects, the Chief of Naval Training and Operations, Rear Adm. Henry Babalola, told newsmen that the arrest was made after a fierce gun battle with naval forces that left a suspect dead.
Babalola said the suspected pirates were arrested around Sao Tome after the gang had hijacked the vessel off the coast of Cote d’Ivoire.
According to him, ”Before the security forces got to the hijacked vessel, two crew members, an Indian and a Pakistan, had been kidnapped and taken away by two of the gang members.
”The hijackers, after sighting the naval ships, refused to surrender, shut downfall the oil tanker and opened fire on the security agents. It was at that point the deceased pirate was gunned down because he came out of the ship to confront the boarding party,” the Naval chief added.
Babalola further stated that the operation was coordinated from the naval headquarters in Abuja, commending Naval officers in the neighbouring countries for their cooperation.
Babalola warned pirates to desist from such illegal acts or face dire consequences.
The captain of the hijacked tanker, Capt. Prilliea Krishna, pleaded with the Navy authorities to help find the two crew members being held hostage by the gang.
Krishna, however, expressed appreciation to the Nigerian Navy for coming to the crew’s rescue.
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