Nigerian navy special forces patrol the coast against
attacks by pirates
Pirates have seized two US sailors from an oil
supply ship off the coast of Nigeria, officials say.
The captain and chief engineer of the US-flagged C-
Retriever were taken on Wednesday by armed men who
stormed the boat, they said.
US officials said it was not a terrorist act, but were
concerned about the rise in piracy off West Africa.
In kidnaps in the region, crew members are normally
freed unharmed after any oil on board the ships is
stolen.
US State Department Deputy Spokeswoman Marie Harf
Wednesday's incident was being treated as "an act of
piracy" rather than terrorism.
Gunmen attacked the C Retriever, an oil supply vessel,
near the coastal town of Brass in Nigeria's oil rich
Bayelsa State.
The chief engineer and the captain, both American
citizens, were kidnapped. The vessel and 11 other
members of the crew were reportedly released.
'Lucrative crime'
White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters: "We
are concerned by the disturbing increase in the
incidence of maritime crime, including incidents of
piracy off the coast of West Africa, specifically in the
Gulf of Guinea."
The International Maritime Bureau has recorded more
than 40 attacks in the area this year with 132 crew
taken hostage. The gangs usually target the oil vessels to
steal the cargo.
"Pirate networks in the Gulf of Guinea are focusing on
product theft from tankers and this relatively new type
of crime has evolved into a unique and highly lucrative
form of maritime crime," said the Risk Intelligence
security firm, in its October report.
It is estimated that oil product worth approximately
$100m (approximately £62m) has been stolen since
2010.
In recent months there have been numerous
kidnappings of foreign oil workers and wealthy
Nigerians, especially in the oil-producing Niger Delta
region.
They have often been held until a ransom payment is
made.
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