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Civil ship Bourbon Liberty 249 pirated in Nigeria with six Russian sailors onboard is anchored in the estuary of Niger River. Nigerian authorities prepare hostage-release operation, reported Xinhua on Oct 18 referring to a Nigerian Navy's spokesman.
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Nigeria Prepares to Release Russian Sailors from Pirate Captivity
10/18/2012 |
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All actions needed to release the kidnapped crewmembers and arrest the captors have been already started, reports RIA Novosti citing the Nigerian official.
Pirates attacked the French-operated tug ship Bourbon Liberty 249 on Oct 15 within Nigerian territorial waters. Six Russian crewmembers were kidnapped, as well as one Estonian.
On Oct 17, Russian foreign ministry officially confirmed that Russian sailors were really taken hostages in Nigeria.
"Being in close contact with the ship operator and Nigerian authorities, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassy to Nigeria are taking all possible actions to release the sailors in the safest and the most prompt manner", reported the foreign ministry's press service.
The ship was supplying shelf drilling platforms off Nigeria's southern coast.
"Pirates kidnapped the ship's key personnel obviously with the view to get ransom and have already left Nigerian territory. They abandoned the ship with the rest crewmen. At present, the ship entered the harbor of Nigerian port Onne", reported the ministry's information and press department.