Suspected pirates attacked a ship on Friday off the coast of Nigeria in the Bight of Bonny.
The Marine Domain Awareness for Trade – Gulf of Guinea reported that the ship was under attack 10:30 Zulu time 45 nautical miles off the Nigerian coast.
Vessels in the area are advised to exercise extreme caution.
The incident is the fourth reported in the Gulf of Guinea region so far this year, according to piracy data from the International Chamber of Commerce.
But the attacks come as global piracy has been on the decline.
The ICC's International Maritime Bureau reported last month that the 180 piracy incidents in 2017 represented the lowest level since 1995 and marked a decrease from 191 incidents in the prior year.
Still, the waters off Nigeria remain a key hot spot.
"Pirates/robbers are often well-armed, violent and have attacked hijacked and robbed vessels/kidnapped crews along the coast, rivers, anchorages, ports and surrounding waters," the IMB said."Generally, all waters in/off Nigeria remain risky. Vessels are advised to be vigilant, as many attacks may have gone unreported."
