Nov 27 Pirates attacked a Polish-owned cargo vessel off the Nigerian coast and kidnapped its captain and four crew, Polish authorities said, in the first documented incident of its kind in nearly year in some of the deadliest shipping lanes on earth.
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He said: “The rest of the crew, 11 people, are still on the ship and they are safe…”
Most of the crew of the Szafir escaped the attackers by taking refuge in the ship’s engine room.
The ship sustained damage, but there were no reports of injuries and no traces of blood to be found, officials say. The ship was traveling from Belgium to Nigeria and was carrying metal cranes and other items, not containers.
Polish Sea Industry and Navigation Minister Marek Grobarczyk also said it appeared the attack was carried out by pirates.
It belongs to Polish company Euroafrica, based in Szczecin, north western Poland.
Waszczykowski added that his country would not get directly involved in the bid to secure the release of the captives, unless asked to do so.
Nigerian Navy vessels are bringing troops and navigators to the ship, which is flying a Cypriot flag, the company said in a statement posted on its website.
Piracy has taken off in West Africa during recent years, with criminal groups hijacking ships to steal cargo, or taking hostages for ransom.
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“These pirates are not out to kill anyone”.
