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MANILA, Philippines -- Two Filipinos are among the six crewmembers being held by militants who attacked the chemical tanker Sichem Peace 18 miles off Koko, Nigeria last July 4, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
Online reports from Singapore and Russia said members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) boarded the Singapore-flagged 8,801-ton ship near Escravos and took six crew prisoners – two Russians, one Ukranian, two Filipinos, and an Indian - ashore. The remaining crew on board took Sichem Peace 100 miles away from the shore.
The DFA said it was coordinating with the ship’s principal in Singapore and the local manning agency, which said that the Filipinos and other crew members were in good condition. The manning agency has informed the families of the Filipino crew of the hijacking.
Ship operator Eitzen Maritime Services has been in touch with the captain of the ship and has been conducting negotiations for the safe and immediate release of the hostages, reports said.
The DFA also instructed the Philippine Embassy in Abuja to make representations with Nigerian authorities to secure the release of the Filipino crew, and for the Philippine Embassy in Singapore to facilitate the conduct of negotiations.
More than 200 foreign workers have been taken captive in the Niger Delta in the past three years and militant attacks on oil facilities are common.
