Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Pirates Free Sailors Kidnapped Off Nigeria

Map of the Gulf of Guinea, showing the chain o...
Map of the Gulf of Guinea(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Pirates have released five Russian and Polish nationals kidnapped from a cargo ship last month off the coast of Nigeria.

The ship's German operator confirmed Tuesday all five crew members were released on May 11, that they are in good health and have returned to their home countries.

The company did not say if a ransom was paid, but ship owners often hand over large sums to free abducted sailors.

The crew members were kidnapped April 25, when 14 heavily armed pirates forced their way into the cargo ship's citadel, a strong room designed to protect the crew from attack.

Piracy is increasing in West Africa's Gulf of Guinea, with gunmen frequently targeting oil ships to steal crude and seize foreign hostages for ransom payments.

The International Maritime Bureau has recorded 19 piracy incidents off Nigeria this year.

from VOA News
May 14, 2013

Enhanced by Zemanta

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Search this blog