MSC Lucia, flying the flag of Panama and bound for Togo, sent out a distress call around 1 pm local time on Monday, when it was boarded by armed men approximately 86 nautical miles south-west of the Agbami Terminal on the Nigerian coast.
The signal was picked up by the missile destroyer Vice-Admiral Kulakov, which was in the area to conduct maritime security operations. The Lucia’s crew sheltered in the engine room, while the destroyer quickly dispatched a Ka-27PS helicopter with a marine complement on board.