Pirate Attack Off Nigeria: Part of a Trend in West Africa
The kidnapping of two American citizens from an oil-supply platform vessel off the coast of Nigeria has put the spotlight on the sharp rise in pirate attacks in West Africa.
On Thursday, a U.S. official said the captain and chief engineer of the U.S.-flagged C-Retriever were taken by armed men who stormed the 200-foot ship in the Gulf of Guinea (map) on Wednesday. (See related slide: “Oil Development Grows in Africa.”)
The ship is owned by the Louisiana-based company Edison Chouest Offshore, which hasn’t commented on the situation.
The Captain Phillips movie released this month brought attention to pirate attacks off Africa’s East Coast in the Gulf of Aden. The movie is based on the real-life story of the
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