Nigerian militants highjacked all the crew, except one wounded, of a German freighter

[odindj]

Port Harcourt, Nigeria - Gunmen attacked two cargo vessels off the coast of the oil-producing Niger Delta, wounding one crew member and kidnapping 12 foreign sailors, Nigerian navy officials said on Saturday.
The crew members seized near Bonny in southern Rivers state on Friday have not been identified, but the military believe they are from eastern Europe.
A security official said the hostages were from Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine.
"Gunmen attacked the cargo vessel BBC Polonia and one other four nautical miles south of Bonny River," said navy spokesman Lt. Edward Yeibo. "The gunmen shot one dead and took others hostage."
Military officials were in contact with the kidnappers, demanding the immediate release of the hostages, said a navy commander in the capital Abuja.
Kidnappings for ransom are common in the Niger Delta, home to Africa's biggest oil and gas industries, with hundreds of incidents reported each year. Most victims are released unharmed.
Foreign firms, ranging from oil to construction to telecoms, are forced to spend millions of dollars a year on security for their staff because of the high crime rate in the Niger Delta.
Security officials say former militants fed up with a government amnesty programme could be behind a renewed wave of kidnappings, robberies and oil theft.
IOL
BBC Polonia IMO 9415325 Flag Antigua General Cargo build 2010 DWT 7752 owner Briese Schiffahrts GmbH & Co. KG. Crew 13: German 2, Unknown 1, Latvian 1, Lithuanian 1, Russian 6, Ukranian 2. Ukrainan sailor was wounded and now safe, the rest are highjacked.
Mikhail Voytenko
Maritime Bulletin
http://www.odin.tc/eng
Vessel pic: http://www.odin.tc/eng/articles/422-Nigerian-militants-highjacked-all-the-crew-except-one-wounded-of-a-German-freighter.asp