2 more Pinoy seafarers rescued in Nigeria - DFA

MANILA, Philippines - Two more Filipino seafarers who were kidnapped in Nigeria last May 13 were rescued by Nigerian authorities, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos said the duo were to be brought to the Nigerian key city of Lagos to join nine other Filipino crew of the MV Spirit who were rescued earlier.

Five other Filipino seafarers remain in the chartered oil tanker, which was hijacked by Nigerian militants at the Delta State on May 13. The vessel had a total of 16 Filipino crew on board.

Conejos said the Philippine Embassy is coordinating with the Nigerian Foreign Ministry and federal security officials "for the safe release of the five seafarers who remain in the custody of the militants."

A consular team headed by the charge d’affaires of the Philippine Embassy in Abuja, Alex Lamadrid. is to meet with the rescued kidnapping victims in Lagos.

At least two Filipino seafarers – from the first group of nine – sustained slight injuries in the rescue efforts. [See: 2 rescued Pinoy seafarers in Nigeria injured - DFA]

The Philippine government has stopped sending Filipino workers to Nigeria following hostilities and kidnappings of foreign nationals. Several groups have requested that Manila lift the deployment ban as the situation there continues to improve.
Apart from the Gulf of Aden, the waters off Nigeria are considered the most dangerous due to piracy threats.

Global organizations monitoring hijackings have said that more than 200 foreigners have been taken hostage by pirates and other lawless groups across the southern oil region of Africa's biggest petroleum producer.

Foreign shipping and oil companies operating in Nigeria were known in the past to have paid huge amounts to ransom off their crewmen and staff taken hostage by militants.

A number of Filipino workers have also been abducted in the Niger Delta region but were later on freed upon payment ransom. - Mark Joseph Ubalde, GMANews.TV

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