Pirates Release Tanker and Crew After Hijacking Off Nigeria

After 5 days in captivity, pirates have released the oil tanker, Cape Bird, and the 20-member Eastern European crew safely on Friday, an official confirms.

A spokeswoman for Columbia Ship Management GmbH of Hamburg, Germany, disclosed that the pirates left the Cape Birth late on Thursday night, and allowed the crew to sail unharmed from their location 90 miles off of Lagos.  The spokeswoman would not disclose whether or not a ransom had been paid, or if the oil cargo was stolen from the vessel.

The MT Cape Bird is the latest in a string of West African piracy attacks in the Gulf of Guinea.  The area follows Africa’s southward curve from Liberia to Gabon is an oil-rich region frequented by tankers that have recently gone from a low-level robbery threat to full on hijackings and cargo thefts over the past 8 months.