Five Polish sailors have allegedly been Kidnapped, following the hijacking of a cargo vessel by Nigerian pirates.

Nigerian pirates allegedly kidnapped five
seamen from a Polish cargo ship.
The cargo ship belonging to a Polish
company was reportedly attacked off the
Nigerian coast.
Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski
told a newsmen that Poland was liaising with
Nigerian authorities, but would not get
involved directly unless asked to do so.
The Polish spokesman said: “This is a
responsibility of the sovereign state of Nigeria.”
Waszczykowski made the Polish stand known
at conference which held on Friday,
November 27.
He informed that the alleged kidnappers had
made no demands so far, adding that no
traces of blood were discovered on the ship,
which operates under the Cyprus flag.
According to the foreign minister, the
kidnapped sailors included the captain and
officers.
He said: “The rest of the crew, 11 people, are
still on the ship and they are safe… The ship
suffered some damage.”
Marek Grobarczyk, the Polish maritime
minister said the area where the kidnapping
took place was not traditionally frequented
by pirates.
Following the incident, Grobarczyk opined
that the safety procedures of all Polish
companies within the area would be reviewed
to ensure sailors’ safety.
Reuters reports that the ship is currently
anchored around 30 sea miles – roughly 56
kilometers – off the Nigerian coast, with the
operator arranging for a new crew to take it
back to port.
The cargo ship which was carrying 16 Poles
is named Szafir (Sapphire), it had been sailing
from the Belgian port of Antwerp to Onne in
Nigeria.
It belongs to Polish company Euroafrica,
based in Szczecin, north western Poland.
Speaking to Poland’s TVN 24 station, a
woman whose husband is apparently on-
board the vessel said: “more than a dozen
sailors locked themselves in the engine room
and turned off the engines.”
As of the time of this report, the Nigerian
navy was still engaged in a rescue operation.
There are no records of lives lost or people
injured from the commandeering.
In the same vein, seafarers and people who
do business along the Bonny
waterways, have raised alarm that their lives
are in danger over incessant attacks pirates.
The sea users claim that there is an increase
in the rate of robberies upon the Boony
seaway.