Lavrov was asked about the fate of two employees of Russian aluminum giant RusAl, who were abducted in southern Nigeria on Saturday. He said the Russian Embassy in Nigeria was working with RusAl representatives and Nigerian authorities to facilitate the release of the hostages.
"As to other hostages, primarily crewmembers of previously seized commercial vessels, one of them was released yesterday," he said, without providing further details.
RusAl said on Saturday that armed assailants had attacked a community of Russian workers in the south of Ikot Abasi port town, kidnapping two employees.
Abductions of foreigners are not uncommon in the West African state, particularly in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, where locals often feel that they do not benefit enough from the money that comes into the country from crude exports.
The groups behind the abductions often demand ransoms in addition to political declarations. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta is the main militant group carrying out attacks and acts of sabotage on foreign facilities operating in the region.
