Abducted Moroccan Sailor Reportedly Freed by Nigerian Kidnappers

Moroccan officer of the merchant navy, Ahmed Janane, who had been Kidnapped last July 31 by Nigerian pirates in the Gulf of Guinea after an attack of the ship “OYA 1”, flying Panamanian flag, has been freed last Sunday.

According to members of Ahmed’s family who revealed his release, he is expected back home in a few days, reported daily Assabah on Tuesday.

Ahmed Janane, another Moroccan merchant navy officer, Abdelkader Benhala, and three other people, all crewmembers of the ship “OYA 1”, belonging to the Congolese shipping company Ocean Express, were kidnapped by Nigerian pirates, the daily recalled.

The family of Ahmed Janane confirmed that he has been released by his kidnappers on Sunday (August 20) and announced his imminent return to Morocco, according to Assabah, which said that no details on the other Moroccan kidnapped sailor were available.

The Gulf of Guinea, which borders some 17 countries of West and Central Africa, is known as the most dangerous area in Africa after the Somali coast, particularly in Nigerian waters.

Armed pirates, traveling on board ultra-fast zodiacs, carry out 50 attacks each year against the ships transiting in the area. They steal the cargos and take some sailors as hostages to demand payment of ransoms for their release.

But sometimes, the kidnappings have a sad ending when the hostages are killed. “In recent days, Nigerian pirates have killed 31 people of different nationalities in five abduction incidents reported to the country’s authorities,” Moroccan news portal le360 had reported early August.