Port Harcourt — No fewer than 20 militants recently attacked and took away a tug boat and a Caribbean vessel Ailsa Creg and MV Ngoni holding some quantity of Diesel. Although the vessel was later recovered, the incident further increased the activities of pirates and militants who have been attacking vessels on the Bonny route, Rivers State almost on daily basis prompting the Spokesman of the Joint Task Force in the State, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa to warn companies to desist from moving without naval escorts.

The hoodlums were said to have stormed the vessel and the tugboat in three blue boats between 7am and 8.30am and battled the crew till they succeeded.

Commander of JTF in the State, Major General Sarkin Yaki-Bello has ordered that the hoodlums behind the attack be fished out and punished.

Initial information had it that the vessel was serving Exxon Mobil platforms and was heading out of Bonny channels when at 12 Nautical miles off Bonny, it came under attack.

Reports also had it that no fatality was recorded in the attack while no one was kidnapped, though valuable items on board were allegedly looted.

The source said that the hijackers were engaged by the Naval component of JTF but when THISDAY called the Navy spokesman in NNS Pathfinder, Lt. Olabisi Wey, he said he had heard the report but was contacting the operations arm of the force to get details. Though he promised to call back, he never did.

A report from security sources said, "Navy confirms ongoing engagement with armed group in three speedboats who tried to hijack the Caribbean Crest vessel at 12 nautical miles North West of the Total Amenam field."

Later confirmations identified the vessel involved in the attack as MV Ngoni but did not state what finally happened to it.

Sagir confirmed that "The JTF Operation Flush out III received a report that militants numbering about 20 in three blue speed boats attacked a tugboat Caribbean Crest holding FSO Ailsa Creg at 8.30am yesterday.

"They succeeded in carrying the tugboat away containing unconfirmed quantity of diesel. The boat sailed into Bonny channel without adequate security and did not inform the JTF of their movement." The attack subsequently led to JTF ordering a squadron of gunboats on static deployment in Bonny to ensure security on the island to move further to contain the situation. It asked companies to avail themselves of the dedicated gunboats for escort to forestall attack.