Polish Cargo Ship SZAFIR Attacked off Nigeria
By Aiswarya Lakshmi
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Pirates operating off the coast of Nigeria have taken hostage five Polish sailors, including the captain and officers, from the Polish general cargo ship Szafir.
The ship was headed to the port of Onne in Nigeria from Antwerp, when the armed pirates struck, with 11 of the crew escaping harm by barricading themselves in the engine room and turning off the engines.
Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski said the men - including a captain and three officers - were kidnapped on Thursday night from the cargo ship. He said that the kidnappers had not yet established contact.
However, Waszczykowski said they were safe and their ship had been located about 30 nautical miles off the coast of Nigeria. The exact location has not been reported.
The investigation into the abduction of Poles runs from Friday Prosecutor's Office in Szczecin. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy in Abuja is in contact with the Nigerian authorities, the shipowner and the crew.
The Szafir was carrying metal and other items, according to Reuters.
The general cargo ship Szafir is managed by Polish company Euroafrica Shipping Lines and operating under the flag of Cyprus. The vessel has overall length of 113.00 m, moulded beam of 18.00 m and maximum draft of 8.70 m.