Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 1,2020) – Two Filipino seafarers were among those kidnapped by gunmen off a port in Cameroon on New Year’s Eve.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday that a total of eight crew members were kidnapped while they were aboard the Happy Lady oil tanker anchored off Cameroon.
“The DFA is closely following the reported kidnapping yesterday of eight seafarers, which included two Filipinos, aboard a Greek-flagged oil tanker, in a Cameroon port,” it said in a statement.
“The Philippine Embassy in Abuja, which has jurisdiction over Cameroon, is coordinating with relevant authorities to ensure safety and security of the Filipino seafarers,” the DFA added.
International news agency Agence France-Presse said five Greeks and a Ukranian were the other abducted victims. A total of 28 members were aboard the tanker when armed men staged the night raid.
In August last year, 13 Filipino seafarers were reportedly abducted by pirates. Nine of them were taken from a Greek ship while another four were from a German-owned vessel.
READ: DFA closely monitors case of kidnapped seamen in Cameroon
