Turkey’s ambassador to Nigeria, Hakan Cakil, confirmed in Abuja that the private Turkish tanker Puli, a merchant vessel designed to transport liquids or gases in bulk, was seized by Nigerian pirate gangs early Monday.
Cakil added that the Turkish crew members, working for Turkish Kaptanoglu Navigation, are in good health and the tanker is now offshore, 90 miles south of Nigeria.
The ambassador said he is in contact with Turkey’s Foreign Ministry, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, and the company.
“This area is extremely unsafe and the issue of piracy is very prevalent. We will do our best to secure the release [of the crew members] as soon as possible through legal channels.”
Cakil added that in previous instances of piracy seen in the same area, the criminals generally demand a ransom. [myad]
