Tanker captain’s family pleads for help after Somali pirate hijacking

Monday April 27, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — A family in Indonesia is pressing its government to step in after Somali pirates seized an oil tanker off the country’s coast last week and took an Indonesian captain hostage.

Ashari Samadikun, 33, is among 17 crew members captured when armed men hijacked the UAE-flagged tanker Honour 25 about 30 nautical miles offshore, security officials in Puntland State said. The vessel was traveling from Oman to Mogadishu when it came under attack.

Speaking from their home in Gowa regency, Indonesia, Ashari’s mother, Siti Aminah, issued a tearful appeal to authorities in Jakarta. “He is the backbone of our family and has always cared deeply for us,” she said, clutching his photograph. “I beg President Prabowo to help my son, who has been held by Somali pirates for several days.”

Ashari’s wife, Santi Sanaya, said her final contact with him came in a WhatsApp voice message on April 21, just before the assault. “He told me the ship was under attack by pirates. After that, it became very difficult to reach him,” she said.

The family said talks are said to be under way between the shipping company and the pirates, though no official outcome has been confirmed.

“Our whole family hopes the government can help so that my husband and the other crew members can return home safely,” she said.

Of the 17 crew members on board, four are Indonesian nationals two are from South Sulawesi: Ashari Samadikun from Gowa regency and Adi Faizal from Bulukumba regency. The other two are Wahudinanto from Pemalang, Central Java, and Fiki Mutakin from Bogor, West Java. While the rest include 10 Pakistanis, one Indian, one Sri Lankan and one from Myanmar. Their condition remains unknown.

The tanker is currently anchored near the northeastern Somali coast between Xaafun and Bander Beyla, where additional armed men have reportedly boarded the vessel since the initial seizure.

Piracy off Somalia’s coast had sharply declined over the past decade due to international naval patrols and improved maritime security. However, recent incidents targeting commercial vessels and fishing boats have raised concerns about a resurgence of attacks along one of the world’s most critical shipping routes.