Lagos, March 1 (IANS) Two Russian nationals — the captain and an engineer of a cargo ship — have been taken hostage by pirates in Nigeria, Xinhua reported Thursday.
The pirates had attacked the Dutch vessel a few kilometres from Nigeria’s Port Harcourt, an official said.
The Russians have not been identified.
The International Maritime Bureau has confirmed that pirates attacked and robbed a cargo vessel at a Nigerian port.
Eight pirates armed with machine guns fired at a Curacao-flagged vessel anchored at Port Harcourt before boarding the ship Tuesday night. The chief engineer and the ship-master were taken hostage, an official said.
The vessel had 14 crew members. One crew member was injured and another was reported missing.
