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Published: Friday August 10, 2012 MYT 2:11:00 PM

Report: Malaysian seaman, three others held hostage by Nigerian pirates


JAKARTA: A Malaysian seaman, along with three others from Indonesia, Thailand and Iran have been held hostage by armed Nigerian pirates since Saturday, Indonesia's ANTARA news agency reported.

The president of the Indonesian Seamen Association (KPI), Hanafi Rustandi, in a press statement on Thursday, said they were taken hostage from "BG Jascon 33" barge early on Saturday local time while the boat flying St. Vincent flag was around 35 miles off the Nigerian coast.

The boat belonging to a Dutch company was carrying workers for an offshore oil drilling, when an armed group suddenly attacked and hijacked it.

Nigerian navy officers escorting the boat tried to fight them but two of them died after being shot by the pirates. The fate of the four seamen were still unknown.

It is believed that the hijackers are seeking a ransom. In view of that, Hanafi urged the Indonesian government to immediately coordinate with the governments of Nigeria and St Vincent, and the owner of the ship with regard to the case.

"The Indonesian government cannot work on its own to free the hostages," he said. - Bernama

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