Navy spokesman Nigeria: Tanker Pirates Flee

 a hijacked oil tanker in the waters near Nigeria is now safe.

It was announced by the Port Authority and the Maritime Singapore (MPA), last night. "The company has informed the MPAs that the ship and crew are currently in a safe state," he said, in a statement.

According to authorities, the crew registered Singapore, together with the Nigerian security forces, will perform security checks ship and the ship will continue its journey after obtaining permission from the authorities.

Meanwhile, separately, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) quoted Nigerian navy spokesman Kabir Aliyu said pirates had fled and ships were escorted to the port of Lagos.

The International Maritime Bureau said earlier, on Tuesday, the tanker was hijacked by pirates in waters near Lagos. AFP news agency quoted the International Maritime Bureau says 23 crew members were aboard the tanker when arrested had locked themselves in a secure room.

There has been a significant increase in the number of pirate attacks in parts of West Africa. In several recent cases, the gunmen were likely to steal the cargo, not looking for a huge ransom before releasing the crew.

Two of Togo tanker seized last month by pirates who suck up oil and then release the crew and ship.