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Vessel with Russian aboard hijacked by pirates in Nigeria

Xinhua, February 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

A supply vessel with a Russian aboard was hijacked by pirates off the Coast of Bonny Island, located in the southern edge of Nigeria's oil rich state of Rivers, the Nigerian navy said on Wednesday.

The unidentified Russian was kidnapped together with a fellow crew member, a Nigerian, by the pirates who seized their MV BOURBON vessel early Wednesday, said an official statement by the Nigerian navy headquarters in Abuja.

The statement indicated that the vessel was recovered by personnel onboard a navy ship at a location 55 nautical miles off Brass in the Niger Delta state of Bayelsa in Nigeria but without rescuing the abductees which were taken into captive before the arrival of the navy ship.

"Efforts are currently ongoing to ascertain the whereabouts of the abducted crew," the Nigerian navy said.

Barely five days ago, the Nigerian navy had rescued an oil tanker and its crew from pirates near the islands of Sao Tome. Both the oil tanker and the supply vessel which it rescued on Wednesday have been stationed at the Onne Port located in Nigeria's River State where naval authorities will conduct further investigation. Endit