YENAGOA: Five Pakistani crew members, who were kidnapped from an oil tanker off the Nigerian coast two weeks ago, have been released by Pirates, security sources said on Thursday.
They were kidnapped on May 25 when armed pirates attacked the Nigerian-flagged MT Matrix about 40 nautical miles off the coast of the oil-producing Bayelsa state, a stretch of water frequently plagued by armed gangs.
The two security sources said the men, who worked for an oil servicing company, were released unharmed.
Security sources believe ransoms were paid – an increasingly lucrative business for criminal gangs who used to take more interest in simply stealing the oil on board the tankers.
