Pirates abducted 9 Filipino seafarers in Benin

Port authorities said suspected pirates abducted nine (9) Filipino seafarers at Cotonou harbor point in Benin, Sunday.

“The Autonomous Port of Cotonou regrets to inform you that Saturday morning, November 2, 2019, an act of piracy took place in the harbor area,” authorities said in a statement.

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The ship named Bonita was attacked “about nine miles off the entrance to the port, and eight crew members plus the ship’s captain were abducted,” the port authorities said.

MV Bonita was boarded by pirates early Saturday morning off Cotonou Benin while she was at anchor,” the Norwegian owner of the ship, the Ugland company confirmed.

“9 crew members were taken off the vessel while she was waiting for berth to discharge inbound cargo, gypsum. Remaining crew notified local authorities, and Bonita arrived alongside in Cotonou later the same day,” it added.

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The company’s spokesperson confirmed to Dagens Naeringsliv newspaper that all of the abducted seafarers were all Filipinos.

The Gulf of Guinea, which extends from Cameroon to Liberia, has become one of the most dangerous maritime regions in the world.

The pirates would capture the ships for several days, where they plunder the cargo and get sums of ransom money before freeing the abducted crew.

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The two primary oil producers in sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria, and Angola are located in the Gulf of Guinea. Piracy has caused maritime transportation interruptions and loss of billions of dollars.