The constant flow of massive cargo ships in the Gulf of Guinea has become a fertile hunting ground for pirates. NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reports.By Jim Miklaszewski and F. Brinley Bruton, NBC NewsNigerian military officials said Friday they had no leads in the hunt for two Americans kidnapped at sea off Africa's west coast, an area that has become a fertile ground for pirates in recent years.
"Yes, we are aware that they are missing, but we still do not have any information on the whereabouts of the men," Nigerian navy spokesman Kabiru Aliyu said. "But we have deployed search-and-rescue teams who are currently combing the creeks. We are doing our best to find them."
U.S. officials confirmed to NBC News that two Americans (http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/24/21114805-pirates-seize-two-americans-off-nigerias-coast?lite)were taken early on Wednesday in an area plagued by pirates, criminal gangs and active militant groups.
"We believe this was an act of piracy," State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters. "At this point, we do not have information that would indicate this was an act of terrorism. Obviously, our concern at this point is for the safe return of the two U.S. citizens."The constant flow of massive cargo ships in the Gulf of Guinea has become a fertile hunting ground for pirates. NBC's Jim Miklaszewski reports. U.S. officials were closely monitoring the situation and seeking more information, Harf added.
Nigerian officials echoed American officials saying they believed that the abductions had been carried out by "criminals" and not politically motivated militants.
Maritime news website gCaptain reported that the captain and chief engineer (http://gcaptain.com/nigerian-offshore-security-personnel/) of oil supply vessel C-Retriever had been abducted. Meanwhile, C-Retriever's insurer Skuld told NBC News that the ship was "not under the control of pirates."
A U.S. defense official said the State Department and FBI were leading the American response to the incident. A second defense official said the U.S. Marine Corps has a small training unit in the region but it was not clear if it would get involved.
Louisiana-based Edison Chouest Offshore, the ship’s owner, remained silent Friday and had likely been advised not to comment, said Rory Lamrock, a maritime analyst at U.K.-based security firm AKE.
"The companies are probably advised to say nothing to the media," he said. "It is generally because hostage-takers are very clued up and have access to the Internet, have access to the news. [Companies] don't want to say anything that can be used against their workers."
While piracy off Somalia and the Horn of Africa on the east coast of Africa have been falling off in recent years, it has skyrocketed by more than 30 percent this year as ships passing through West Africa's Gulf of Guinea, a major commodities route, come under threat from gangs wanting to snatch cargoes and crews.(http://media2.s-nbcnews.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/131025-nigeria-exercise-7a.380;380;7;70;0.jpg)Pius Utomi Ekpei / AFP - Getty Images, fileNigerian navy special forces patrol the waters during a joint military exercise between Nigerian armed forces, United States, Britain, Netherlands and Spain in Lagos in Oct. 18. This makes them targets for criminals and raises insurance costs. Kidnapped sailors and oil workers taken in Nigerian waters are usually released after a ransom is paid.
In an interview with NBC’s Brian Williams on Thursday, American cargo ship Capt. Richard Phillips, who was taken hostage off the coast of Somalia in April, 2009, said the waters off Nigeria were “worse than even Somalia."
U.S. Navy SEAL snipers killed the three Somali pirates and rescued Phillips, who had offered himself as a hostage to save his crew. His high-seas hijacking has been turned into a film starring Tom Hanks. "Captain Phillips" earned more than $52 million during its first two weeks in cinemas.
In the first nine months of 2013 the Gulf of Guinea accounted for all crew kidnappings worldwide, 32 of them off Nigeria, and two off Togo, according to the International Maritime Bureau (http://www.icc-ccs.org/news/873-piracy-at-sea-falls-to-lowest-level-in-seven-years-reports-imb). In such incidents, sailors are taken ashore and usually held for ransom.
Senan John Murray and Reuters contributed to this report.Related:- Crime at sea: The world's most pirate-infested waters (http://www.nbcnews.com/business/crime-sea-worlds-most-pirate-infested-waters-1C9965574)
- Young Somali pirates offered amnesty amid 'drastic' fall in attacks (http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/28/17132316-young-somali-pirates-offered-amnesty-amid-drastic-fall-in-attacks?lite)
- Couple held hostage by pirates for 388 days set sail on new journey (http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/05/13657409-couple-held-hostage-by-pirates-for-388-days-to-set-sail-on-new-journey?lite)
This story was originally published on Fri Oct 25, 2013 6:36 AM EDT
Source: No clues in hunt for Americans kidnapped at sea, Nigeria's military says (http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/25/21139736-no-clues-in-hunt-for-americans-kidnapped-at-sea-nigerias-military-says)