On July 3, 2010, armed gunmen attacked two cargo vessels off the coast of Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger Delta on Saturday, killing one crew member and kidnapping 12 foreign workers.
According to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the coordinated assault occurred in the early hours offshore, as the vessels were transiting Delta waters.
A senior naval spokesperson said the attackers, armed with assault rifles, boarded both ships, opened fire on the crew, and took the foreigners at gunpoint before fleeing into the creeks.
One Nigerian crew member was confirmed dead at the scene. The identities and nationalities of the 12 abducted workers were not immediately released pending notification of their embassies.
“The vessels were attacked simultaneously off the Niger Delta coastline. Twelve foreign nationals were taken, and regrettably, one crew member lost his life,” the official said.
A search and rescue operation was launched immediately with naval gunboats deployed to the area.
July 3: Bomb Attack at Maiduguri Drinking Spot Kills 8, Wounds 15
On July 3, 2011, at least eight people were killed and 15 others wounded Saturday evening after assailants threw a bomb at a drinking spot near a police barracks in Maiduguri.
The Borno State Police Command disclosed that the blast occurred at about 8:30 p.m. in a busy section of the city close to a barracks housing police personnel.
According to Witnesses, two men on foot approached the open-air spot and detonated an improvised explosive device before fleeing.
“The explosion killed eight persons on the spot and injured fifteen others who were rushed to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital,” a police spokesman confirmed. Most of the victims were civilians at the venue.
Security operatives cordoned off the area shortly after the attack and launched an investigation. No group had claimed responsibility at the time of filing this report.
Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, has experienced a rise in bomb and gun attacks this year. Residents near the barracks said the incident has heightened fear in the neighborhood.
“The place is usually crowded on weekends. We never expected this,” said one shop owner close to the scene.
The state government has urged calm and called on residents to report suspicious activity to security agencies.
