BANGKOK: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Friday that a Thai crew member kidnapped by pirates off Nigeria’s coast early this month has been freed and will return to Thailand within a few days, Thai News Agency reported.
Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said the Thai Embassy in Kenya’s capital Nairobi has confirmed that the man, whose ship was hijacked off the Nigerian coast, has been released and given a medical check-up.
The man was among four persons kidnapped from Dutch-based Sea Truck Group (STG) housing barge Jascon 33 attacked by gunmen in the Gulf of Guinea some 60 kilometres off the Nigerian coast on Aug 4.
According to STG, an oil and gas contractor which provides support vessels to oil companies operating in Nigeria, the Thai and three other crew members from Indonesia, Iran and Malaysia were kidnapped, two security guards wounded and two Nigerian sailors were killed in the incident. –Bernama