Gunmen hijacked a vessel carrying six Nigerians on Wednesday in the restive southern oil region, security officials said.
A private security official said assailants attacked the vessel on a creek near the oil hub of Port Harcourt and were demanding ransom for the hostages. The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to company restrictions on dealing with the media.
A government security official who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed the attack on a construction company vessel and said that one of the six passengers had been released to carry the ransom demand.
Kidnappings are common in the Delta region. Although gangs originally targeted foreign oil workers, local gangs have recently begun seizing Nigerians after many multinationals pulled out foreign staff.
Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil producer and the fifth largest supplier of crude to the United States, but remains plagued by poverty, corruption and crime.