Six Russian sailors kidnapped off Nigerian coast

PanARMENIAN.Net - Six Russian sailors were kidnapped off the Nigerian coast, a French oil and gas services company said on Wednesday, Oct 17, according to RIA Novosti.

An Estonian national was also kidnapped, Paris-based Bourbon SA said, when gunmen attacked a company ship in Nigeria’s southern Niger Delta on Monday.

The remaining nine sailors onboard the vessel sailed away safely, the company said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the kidnapping and said it was doing all it could to secure the sailors’ early release.

“The pirates who took the senior crew members hostage, six Russians and one Estonian, evidently for ransom have escaped,” the ministry said in a statement.

“The Foreign Ministry and the Russian Embassy in Nigeria are in close contact with the ship’s owner and Nigerian authorities taking all the necessary measures to secure the sailors’ immediate release and ensure their complete safety.”