NIGERIA: Five Indian Sailors Kidnapped Freed

Five Indian sailors kidnapped when their ship was attacked off the coast of Nigeria last month have been released, the vessel’s operating company said on Saturday.

Pirates looted the SP Brussels, an oil and chemicals tanker, on December 17 about 40 miles off the coast of the Niger Delta, a vast wetlands region home to Africa’s largest energy industry.

“Five crew members who were taken from the vessel by armed men … have been released,” Medallion Marine said in a statement. “All five are reported to be in good health after their ordeal.”

There were no details on how they were freed but in the past ransoms have been paid. The Nigerian Navy had no immediate comment.

The attack, which took place on Monday, targeted the SP Brussels tanker (a 7,600-tonne oil and chemical tanker) as it sat about 40 miles (64 kilometers) off the coast of Niger Delta.

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