The Egyptian foreign ministry in Cairo (Photo: Reuters)
Egypt’s foreign ministry said Nigerian naval forces continue to conduct land and sea search operations in the southern states of Delta and Bayelsa to find the abductees of a cargo ship hijacked off the Nigerian coast.
The ship had two Egyptian citizens on board, an officer and an engineer, among other people of different nationalities, according to the foreign ministry.
In a statement on Sunday, the ministry referred to the hard geographical conditions of the inspected area, saying it is a challenge for security forces there to deal with the incident.
The Egyptian Embassy in Abuja contacted Yahaya Lawal, the political adviser to the Nigerian president, to consult on the issue, the statement quoted Amr Mahmoud Abbas, the assistant Egyptian foreign minister for consular affairs and Egyptian expatriates, as saying.
Lawal said Nigeria continues to exert efforts, along with the commanders of relevant security authorities, to find the abductees.
Earlier in December, the foreign ministry said it is following up on the issue with the Nigerian authorities to find and secure the release of the Egyptian abductees.
The Egyptian Embassy in Abuja reported that the incident took place 15 nautical miles away off the coast of Bayelsa.
“The Egyptian state, with all its concerned authorities and the foreign ministry, continues to exert all efforts to ensure the security and safety of the abducted Egyptian citizens and work for their quick release,” read a statement by the foreign ministry on 2 December.
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