Ten Filipino seafarers were abducted from two different vessels in the Gulf of Guinea, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed on Wednesday, October 31.
Citing reports from Ambassador to Nigeria Shirley Ho-Vicario, DFA said two Filipino seafarers were among the 11 crew members abducted from a Liberian-flagged container on Saturday, October 27.
Vicario said a group of pirates boarded and hijacked the vessel then abducted the crewmembers.
In another incident, eight other Filipino seafarers onboard a Panamanian-registered tanker were also abducted after their vessel was hijacked by pirates on Monday, October 29.
Vicario said the Embassy is exerting efforts to establish the whereabouts of the ten seafarers and secure their safe release.
“It was not clear if the seafarers were taken by the same group of pirates who abducted seven Filipinos on board a Swiss-flagged vessel off Nigerian waters last month,” the DFA said.
The seven were released on Sunday, October 28.
