Pirates hijack Singapore-owned tanker in Lagos: IMB

LAGOS, Nigeria (AFP) - Pirates have hijacked a Singapore-owned oil tanker in Nigerian waters, the third attack in just over two weeks in the Gulf of Guinea, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said on Wednesday.

The group said the tanker was seized within the port of Lagos, but Nigerian authorities insisted the attack happened farther offshore.

The vessel, which had 23 crew on board, was laden with fuel, IMB's Kuala Lumpur-based piracy reporting centre said, adding that the pirates were sailing the ship into the open sea. It did not say how the pirates hijacked the tanker on Tuesday evening.

"We have informed the Nigerian authorities who are taking action," Mr Noel Choong, head of the IMB's Malaysia-based piracy reporting centre said. The crew members had locked themselves in a safe room, he added.