10 Turkish Sailors Kidnapped off Nigeria Coast Freed
Ten Turkish sailors on a cargo ship who were kidnapped by "pirates" off the coast of Nigeria last month have been freed, Turkey's state news agency Anadolu reported Friday.
Istanbul, Aug 10 (AFP) Ten Turkish sailors on a cargo ship who were kidnapped by "pirates" off the coast of Nigeria last month have been freed, Turkey's state news agency Anadolu reported Friday.
The sailors, who Anadolu says are in good health, were seized by armed men who attacked the Turkish-flagged Paksoy-1 cargo vessel, operated by shipping company Kadioglu Denizcilik.
No details were immediately available on the release of the captives. A company statement cited by Turkish media last month said the ship was attacked by "pirates" on its way from Cameroon to the Ivory Coast. It was carrying no freight.
Pirates normally seize sailors for ransom. Nigeria reported 14 pirate attacks in the first quarter of 2019 compared with 22 in the same period in 2018.
An International Maritime Bureau (IMB) report in April attributed the drop to the Nigerian navy's increased efforts to "actively respond to reported incidents by dispatching patrol boats." (AFP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)