Two Norwegians and two Ukrainians working on an oil supply vessel in Nigeria have been kidnapped, the Norwegian government and the ship operators said on Wednesday.
"Two Norwegians and two Ukrainians were kidnapped late Tuesday while they were on a Norwegian offshore supply vessel," operated by Trico Supply, foreign ministry spokesman Frode Andersen said.
US-owned Trico Supply confirmed the abductions, the latest in a series of foreign oil workers in Nigeria, and said no ransom demand had been made.
"We have had no contact with the kidnappers," Trico Supply Chairman Bjoern Endresen said, "but we are 110 percent certain it involves money."
Western employees were singled out and taken from the ship while the 11 local crew members were unharmed, he said.
"We are doing everything we can in coordination with the Norwegian embassy in Nigeria and others to resolve the situation," Endresen added.
A senior executive with a major oil group in Nigeria, who demanded anonymity, confirmed the incident but said he could not give any details.
"We learnt some Europeans aboard a foreign oil vessel have been kidnapped. The information is still sketchy," he said in Nigeria's economic capital of Lagos.
Nigerian security agents said they were still verifying the abductions while navy spokesman Obiora Medani told the agency: "There is no such report yet.
{{/usCountry}}Nigerian security agents said they were still verifying the abductions while navy spokesman Obiora Medani told the agency: "There is no such report yet.
{{/usCountry}}