Nigerian pirates have released seven Russian and one Ukrainian sailors
after they were captured last month on the cargo ship the BBC
Caribbean, Russian news agencies reported on Sunday, citing a human
rights activist in Crimea.
The sailors were released after talks between the owners of the ship
and pirates.
Interfax news agency quoted human rights activist Pavel Butsay, in the
city of Sevastopol, as saying the sailors were at a Frankfurt airport
and planned to return home next week.
Butsay told TASS news agency that a ransom was paid but did not reveal the sum.
Security experts class West Africa’s waters, especially off Nigeria
where many pirates originate, as some of the world’s most dangerous,
with attackers often targeting oil tankers and holding hostages for
ransom.
