LAGOS, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Gunmen attacked a vessel off southern Nigeria's Bayelsa State and kidnapped six foreigners on board, including three Ukrainians, two Indians and one Russian, local police confirmed Wednesday after the piracy was reported by Russian media.
Fidelis Odunna, spokesperson of the police in Bayelsa State, confirmed the abduction to Xinhua on phone, identifying the attacked vessel as the Armada Tuah, which is operated by Century Group, a company based in Lagos State in southwestern Nigeria.
So far, no clue has been obtained concerning whereabouts of the kidnapees, although security agents have launched a rescue mission to free them from their captors, he added.
Police said pirates condition more than 1 million U. S.dollars on the release of their captives.
The confirmation was made after Russian media reported that pirates kidnapped the six foreigners on board a ship 70 km off the coast of southern Nigeria on Sunday.
The attack was the fourth within 10 days, marking the worsening security situation in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea, where piracy and kidnappings have been frequently reported in recent years.
