All of the eight Polish crew kidnapped by pirates from a container ship off the coast of Nigeria in October, including three other nationals, are safe and will be reunited with their families, Poland’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

“We would like to thank the shipowner, its co-workers and advisers for their professional handling of this difficult matter. We are grateful also to the Nigerian authorities,” the statement said.

The attackers targeted the MV Pomerenia Sky, a container ship owned by Midocean (IOM) Ltd and headed for the Nigerian port of Onne, in October.

Kidnappings are common in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea. The Polish Foreign Ministry said it was the fifth kidnapping of Poles there since 2013. (NAN)