Nigerian authorities on Monday said they were working to find and free 12 crew members of a Swiss-registered cargo ship who were kidnapped by sea pirates at the weekend. The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) said it had "commenced search (and) rescue operations" for the abducted crew from the MV Glarus.

The ship was attacked 45 nautical miles southwest of Bonny Island, near the southern city of Port Harcourt, as it travelled from Nigeria's commercial capital, Lagos, on Saturday. NIMASA director-general Dakuku Peterside said the agency was working "to ensure that they are found and released unconditionally".