A barge carrying 13,500 metric tones of fuel, belonging to Marine Services (M.R.S) Oil and Gas was in the early hours of yesterday attacked by pirates who operated in Lagos offshore.
Six crew members of the MRS barge, were seriously wounded by the armed pirates who operated in a barge named MT Udo.
General Manager of the company, Mr Alex Ita Esuk , told newsmen yesterday that the barge was attacked while getting one of the cargoes off the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) mother vessel.
Ita Esuk , who spoke on behalf of the Executive Director of the company, Alhaji Mumuni, said the company, since January 22, has been working hand-in -hand with PPMC to check fuel scarcity He said in the course of getting one of the cargoes off the PPMC mother vessel, the barg,e which was awaiting inward clearance, was attacked at about 1 a.m.
According to him, the attackers who first boarded a turge boat that usually propel the barge boats, tied crew members of the MRS barge, leaving some of them with matchet cuts, with others severely beaten up.
Meanwhile two Italian construction workers with Revigo Construction company, Pasari Lusio and Morio Lusio kidnapped in Kpean, Ogoniland three days ago, were yesterday evening, released to their employers after payment of an undisclosed sum.
THISDAY learnt that there were a two-pronged move to secure the release, as the company employed private negotiators, while the Niger Delta Peace Forum, working with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Owoye Azazi also moved to secure their release without payment of ransom.
According to the Head of the Forum, Mr Moses Siloko Siasia, the group, had initially agreed under the peace initiative to release the hostages, but turned around when they realised that employers of the Italians were ready to part with money and therefore abandoned their discussions.
Feb272007