Nine Georgian sailors who had been kidnapped by pirates from a ship flying under the Panamese flag in Nigeria have returned to Georgia.

Sailors returned by a charter flight from Lagos.

According to the Head of the Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia Tamar Ioseliani, no efforts were spared neither by her agency nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the ship owner company to secure the release of the sailors. She added that after being placed under 14-day mandatory quarantine, the sailors will return to their families.

The sailors were kidnapped on April 30.