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Massoel Shipping said in a statement Sunday that the ship, the MV Glarus, had been attacked early Saturday while he was sailing from Lagos to Port Harcourt with a cargo of wheat. The pirates reportedly struck about 45 nautical miles south-southwest of Bonny Island.
"It is understood that the gang of pirates has boarded the Glarus by means of long ladders and cut the wire on the bridge to access the ship and possibly the bridge," said Massoel Shipping.
"Having destroyed much of the ship's communications equipment, the criminal gang set off taking 12 of the 19 crew members hostage."
Noémie Charton, a spokeswoman for the Swiss Foreign Ministry, told CNN that the ministry was aware of the attack. She also stated that no sailors on board were Swiss, but she could not confirm their nationality.
"The Swiss Maritime Bureau (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs) in Basel is in direct contact with the shipowner," said Mr Charton.
