The men, which include the captain, chief officer, chief engineerand bosun, were taken from a vessel called Continental 1.
The incident took place on 13 June, butdetails have only just emerged in the latest piracy report from securityconsultants AKE Maritime.
AKE reports that the vessel was boarded by fourteenarmed men from two skiffs around 7NM southwest of the Ofon oil field.
In addition to kidnapping the crew members the robbersalso stole a number of valuables and possessions before escaping.
“The risk of offshore kidnap for ransom remains high offNigeria, particularly off Bayelsa and Rivers states where a number ofabductions have occurred from supply vessels and container ships over the pastsix months,” AKE Maritime said.
“All vessels in the area should be aware that the risk ofattack for the purposes of robbery, kidnap for ransom, or hijack will continueup to 150NM off the Nigerian coast for the foreseeable future.”
“Vessel hardening and layered defensive measures shouldbe in place to mitigate the risk of attack,” it warned shipowners.
