Six Russian sailors kidnapped by Nigerian pirates off the Benin Republic coast released in Lagos

NIGERIAN kidnappers have released six Russian sailors who were abducted near the border with the Republic of Benin in January during an attack on the container ship MSC Mandy on which they were travelling.

Last month, pirates attacked the ship when it was near Benin’s territorial waters in what is becoming an growing trend off the coast of Nigeria. On January 2 when the attack took place, there were 24 people on board the ship that was flying the Panamanian flag, most of them Russians.

Six of them, including the captain, were taken hostage by the kidnappers and the Russian embassy in the Republic of Benin later said that all of those seized were its citizens. Now they have been released and the Russian embassy in Lagos is planning to send them back home.

One embassy spokesman said: “We confirm that the Russian sailors have been released. They are alive and well and measures are being taken for their return home.”