Complete Maritime Profile & Reviews of Kimberly

In a significant ruling delivered by a Rotterdam court, Itoruboemi L., a 35-year-old Nigerian national, has been sentenced to an additional three years in prison for his involvement in the hijacking of the 'BBC Caribbean' (now known as 'Kimberly') in February 2017. This latest decision comes as part of the ongoing judicial response to maritime piracy that has plagued the region. Itoruboemi was previously sentenced in 2022 to eight years for the hijacking of the 'FWN Rapide' (IMO: 9320520), now renamed 'Lady Luciana', in which he and his cohorts took 11 out of 14 crew members hostage and held them captive in the jungles of Nigeria. The incident involving the 'BBC Caribbean' was equally harrowing, as eight crew members were taken hostage after armed pirates boarded the vessel. They were later transported to the Nigerian mainland, where they endured several weeks of captivity until a ransom was paid by the shipping company for their release. During the recent trial, the court acknowledged the challenging circumstances of Itoruboemi's life in Nigeria. His defense claimed that he had been under duress during the crime, facing severe financial difficulties and asserting that he only played a supporting role in the ransom negotiations. However, forensic evidence contradicted his account. Notably, Itoruboemi's DNA was discovered on a cigarette butt found aboard the ship, and he was recognized by hostages for wearing a distinctive dolphin necklace at the time of the attack. The courts continue to send a strong message against maritime piracy, emphasizing the rise of security measures to protect seafarers against such threats.

On November 12, 2024, a 34-year-old man previously sentenced for the hijacking of the Dutch vessel 'FWN Rapide' and the hostage-taking of its crew, found himself in legal trouble once more. This time, he will face charges related to the 2017 hijacking of the freighter 'BBC Caribbean', now known as 'Kimberly', in the Gulf of Guinea. Authorities discovered a DNA match linking him to evidence from Germany, specifically a DNA trace found on a cigarette butt aboard the 'BBC Caribbean'. The alarming events surrounding the attack occurred on February 5, 2017, when the vessel was assaulted in international waters by armed pirates wielding AK47s. Eight crew members were overpowered and held hostage in Nigeria for several weeks, while three crew members managed to conceal themselves on board and escaped detection by the assailants. With a new crew aboard, the 'BBC Caribbean' successfully navigated to Las Palmas port, where investigators collected crucial evidence including abandoned cartridge cases, seven cigarette butts, fingerprints, and DNA samples. Victim statements reveal the harrowing experience as the kidnapped crew was taken under threat of firearms in a wooden skiff to the mainland of Nigeria, where pirates celebrated their capture with alcohol, pills, and marijuana, firing shots into the air during their journey. Upon reaching a makeshift hideout deeper in the Niger Delta, the pirates were met with jubilation and celebratory gunfire from locals. In 2018, investigations into the 'FWN Rapide' hijacking, which occurred on the high seas while en route to Nigeria, led to the capture of the pirate leader in South Africa. Subsequently extradited to the Netherlands, he was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison by the Rotterdam District Court in 2022, with no appeal pursued. In cooperation with German authorities, the Netherlands has requested South Africa to also prosecute the suspect for the hostage-taking of the 'BBC Caribbean' crew and the hijacking itself. The Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM) has assembled a case file for the Rotterdam District Court based on translated German investigation documents. Following his recent arrest by detectives from the National Expertise and Operations Unit (LX), the suspect was remanded in custody for two weeks by the examining magistrate on November 14.

On March 3, 2023, eight crew members of the 'BBC Caribbean,' consisting of seven Russians and one Ukrainian, were successfully released from captivity by Nigerian pirates following a ransom payment. The freed crew were subsequently transported to Frankfurt am Main for medical evaluation before being repatriated to their home city of Sevastopol. The harrowing ordeal began on February 5, when the 'BBC Caribbean' was boarded by armed hijackers south of Bonny Island in the Gulf of Guinea, resulting in the capture of the majority of the crew. Fortunately, three crew members managed to escape during the chaotic takeover. After the incident, the vessel successfully docked in Gran Canaria.