A German containership has fought off a pirate attack using fire pumps off Nigeria.

Security consultancy Dryad Global said its sources indicated a group of gunmen approached Ahrenkiel's Steamship's 4,300-teu Rio Charleston (built 2008) in a speedboat on Wednesday.

The pirates attempted to board the vessel off Bayelsa State, 53 nautical miles (98 km) south-west of the Agbami terminal.