Pirates in Nigeria hijack Albanian-owned ship

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry confirmed that six Ukrainian citizens were among the members of the crew abducted on the coast of Nigeria by the cargo ship of Cameroon “STEVIA”

According to foreign media, on Wednesday pirates attacked the ship in the Gulf of Guinea, kidnapping eight crew members, 28 nautical miles [28.8 km] off the coast of Nigeria, respectively.

The daughter of one of the captured sailors said on Saturday that there were six Ukrainians aboard the ship.

“Yes, we are aware of this situation. As a result of a pirate attack on the ship off the coast of Nigeria on December 16th, eight crew members were detained, including six Ukrainian nationals”, she said.

According to the diplomat, the owner of the cargo ship “STEVIA” is from an Albanian company, so both of Ukraine's embassies in Nigeria and Albania are taking appropriate measures in connection with the event.

Guinea's Gulf is the most active and oil - rich region in Africa. Pirate activity in the region has increased in recent years, causing Nigeria, Ghana and other surrounding regions to develop a sea co-ordination operation to fight the phenomenon. /Top Channel