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| Nigerian pirates grab French ship | Nigerian pirates grab French ship |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Pirates have seized a ship owned by a French company off the Nigerian coast, taking nine crew members hostage. | Pirates have seized a ship owned by a French company off the Nigerian coast, taking nine crew members hostage. |
| The company - Bourbon - said the captain had assured them that all crew members were unharmed. | The company - Bourbon - said the captain had assured them that all crew members were unharmed. |
| Bourbon - which provides specialist boats for the oil and gas industry - said it was working to free the crew. | Bourbon - which provides specialist boats for the oil and gas industry - said it was working to free the crew. |
| The hostages are from Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and Indonesia. Piracy is common in Nigerian waters, often linked to militants targeting oil companies. | The hostages are from Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and Indonesia. Piracy is common in Nigerian waters, often linked to militants targeting oil companies. |
| Militants attack vessels and strip them of valuables, taking hostages for ransom. | |
| The hostages are usually released later. | |
| Rise in piracy | |
| Militants are holding two British hostages taken from another oil services vessel in September last year. | |
| The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) say they will only be released if one of their leaders, currently on trial, is freed. | |
| Militants say they are fighting for a bigger share of the country's oil wealth, but many attacks are carried out by criminal gangs looking to extort money from oil companies, the government says. | |
| Nigeria's oil production has been cut by around a fifth since 2006, partly as a result of the violence. | |
| Boats in waters of neighbouring Cameroon have also been attacked. | |
| The weekend attack comes as pirate hijackings increase, particularly in the waters off the coast of Somalia. | The weekend attack comes as pirate hijackings increase, particularly in the waters off the coast of Somalia. |
| A French navy vessel captured 19 suspected pirates and foiled two attacks on Sunday targeting cargo ships in the Gulf of Aden. | A French navy vessel captured 19 suspected pirates and foiled two attacks on Sunday targeting cargo ships in the Gulf of Aden. |
| In 2008, pirates attacked 111 ships off Somalia, hijacking 42 of them, and receiving tens of millions of dollars in ransoms. | In 2008, pirates attacked 111 ships off Somalia, hijacking 42 of them, and receiving tens of millions of dollars in ransoms. |