Lagos — The owners of eight Nigerian vessels abducted on Thursday by pirates in the country's territorial waters are considering negotiating with the pirates for the release of their hijacked vessels and kidnapped crew members numbering 96 in total.

President of the Nigerian Trawler Owners Association (NITOA) Mrs. Margaret Orakwusi told THISDAY yesterday that although the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ishaq Ibrahim had waded into the crisis, owners of the seized vessels might be left with no choice but to negotiate with the pirates to prevent casualties.

Providing some insight, she said: "the pirates took away the eight captains from the trawlers and took them to an unknown destination, leaving the vessels under the watch of heavily armed members of their gang.

"They then called the owners of the vessels to make demands, threatening major harm to the crew members and their vessels if the owners refused to pay."

She said her association had lost several people since the beginning of the year and was now pushed to the wall to respond to the threats of the pirates to prevent further loss of lives.

Orakwusi told THISDAY about the attack Thursday night, stating that it took place in the early hours of the day.

She said the vessels were trawling at Sambrayo area of Bayelsa State when armed men suspected to be sea pirates attacked them, taking the vessels along with crew members to an unknown destination.

According to her, one of the crew members on board one of the vessels, who notified the Navy about the incident, said the vessels were navigated to the deep waters by the pirates.

She said NITOA had notified various marine security agencies and the relevant emergency auth-orities with a view to rescuing crew members and the vessels.

The NITOA boss appealed to the Federal Government to quickly intervene in the issue: "We are full of expectations and hope that the 96 crew members in the vessels would be found alive, hale and hearty and return to their families safely."

Orakwusi expressed surprise that the report lodged at a particular Naval base was turned down under the guise that it was outside the Navy's jurisdiction.

"This is contrary to what we used to experience when distress reports were immediately and effectively handled without passing the buck.

"We appeal to the Navy to allow the status quo to remain to enhance safety and for marine activities to thrive," she said.

According to her, the immediate rescue of the crew members and the vessels will restore the confidence of operators navigating Nigerian territorial waters.

She stressed on the need for the maritime industry to be protected because it is the major route for imported goods into the country.

She recalled that on Oct 2 2008, NITOA lost two crew members to pirates, while one was thrown overboard but was rescued by the Nigerian Ports Authority.

The president said the association recorded over 64 attacks in 2008 in which several crew members were either killed or maimed.

She said the industry which is worth over N564 billion has over 500,000 unskilled and skilled workers.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Com-mittee on Marine Tran-sport on Thursday reso-lved to investigate the death of two naval officers on Nigerian territorial waters and the attack on eight vessels belonging to members of the Nigerian Trawlers Association.

Chairman, House Com-mittee on Marine Tran-sport, Honourable Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, said it had become pertinent that the House looks into the frequent attacks on seafarers navigating Nigerian coastal waters and brings to a halt the ugly phenomenon.

"In our meeting today, we decided to take up this issue. The committee recognises the issue as being very serious and resolved to take it up with the appropriate authorities, including the Chief of Naval Staff with a view to ending these attacks," Ugwuanyi said.