Pirates free Thai crewman kidnapped off Nigeria

BANGKOK, August 24 (TNA) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday that a Thai crewman who was kidnapped by pirates off Nigeria's coast early this month has been freed and will return to Thailand within a few days. Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said the Thai Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya's capital, has confirmed that the Thai crewman kidnapped by the pirates, who hijacked his ship off the Nigerian coast, has been released and has received a medical check-up. Surapong revealed that the Thai national was among four kidnapped crewmen from Dutch-based STG housing barge Jascon 33, which was attacked by gunmen in the Gulf of Guinea, 60 kilometres off the Nigerian coast on Aug 4. According to Sea Truck Group, an oil and gas contractor which provides support vessels to oil companies operating in Nigeria, the Thai sailor and three other crewmen from Indonesia, Iran, and Malaysia were kidnapped, two security guards were wounded and two Nigerian sailors were killed in the incident. (TNA)