Pirates have kidnapped 12 crew members from a Swiss cargo ship carrying wheat off the coast of Nigeria.

The gang boarded the MV Glarus vessel using ladders and cut through protective razor wire on deck, according to reports.

After destroying much of the ship's communications equipment, the pirates left with 12 of the 19 crew.

Kidnapping for ransom is a common problem in parts of Nigeria and foreigners are frequently targeted.

Massoel Shipping, operator of MV Glarus, said the families of the hostages have been informed of the situation.

"The company is working with the authorities and specialists to secure the speedy and safe release of those being held," the firm said in a statement.

Seven of the hostages are from the Philippines and the other five are from Slovenia, Ukraine, Romania, Croatia and Bosnia, according to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.

"They are still missing," said Sunday Umoren, the agency's head of maritime safety.

Massoel said their ship was attacked around 45 nautical miles southwest of Bonny Island as it travelled between Lagos and Port Harcourt in the Niger Delta.

The area of the Gulf of Guinea remains a "dangerous hotbed of pirate activity", with more successful kidnappings last year than in 2016, according to a report by Oceans Beyond Piracy.

Last year four British nationals were abducted in Delta state while working as missionaries.

One, Ian Squire, was killed but the three others returned safely home after authorities negotiated their release.

How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise Show all 18 1 /18 How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise 315522.bin Somali pirate "mother ships" captured by Seychelles navy and foreign warships. The rudimentary craft brave 600 nautical miles of high seas to reach the islands. Many pirates are thought to have drowned in the effort. Tania Gomes How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise 315523.bin The MW Brands Tuna plant in Victoria, Seychelles. The plant is the islands' biggest employer and supplies one-quarter of all tuna eaten in the EU but is threatened by piracy Tania Gomes How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise 315520.bin The MW Brands Tuna plant in Victoria, Seychelles. The plant is the islands' biggest employer and supplies one-quarter of all tuna eaten in the EU but is threatened by piracy Tania Gomes How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise 315521.bin Somali pirate "mother ships" captured by Seychelles navy and foreign warships. The rudimentary craft brave 600 nautical miles of high seas to reach the islands. Many pirates are thought to have drowned in the effort. Tania Gomes How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise 315524.bin The MW Brands Tuna plant in Victoria, Seychelles. The plant is the islands' biggest employer and supplies one-quarter of all tuna eaten in the EU but is threatened by piracy Tania Gomes How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise 315525.bin The MW Brands Tuna plant in Victoria, Seychelles. The plant is the islands' biggest employer and supplies one-quarter of all tuna eaten in the EU but is threatened by piracy Tania Gomes How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise 315265.bin The big fear is that pirates will launch a raid on one of the islands' beaches and scare off wealthy European tourists ALAMY How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise 315263.bin The nightmare scenario is pirates washing up on one of the exclusive beaches waving guns at free-spending tourists REUTERS How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise 315264.bin The archipelago's fishing industry has suffered a 30 per cent fall in catches since the pirates arrived ALAMY How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise 315541.bin The MW Brands Tuna plant in Victoria, Seychelles. The plant is the islands' biggest employer and supplies one-quarter of all tuna eaten in the EU but is threatened by piracy Tania Gomes How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise 315542.bin The MW Brands Tuna plant in Victoria, Seychelles. The plant is the islands' biggest employer and supplies one-quarter of all tuna eaten in the EU but is threatened by piracy Tania Gomes How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise 315543.bin Tania Gomes How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise 315544.bin The MW Brands Tuna plant in Victoria, Seychelles. The plant is the islands' biggest employer and supplies one-quarter of all tuna eaten in the EU but is threatened by piracy Tania Gomes How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise 315545.bin The MW Brands Tuna plant in Victoria, Seychelles. The plant is the islands' biggest employer and supplies one-quarter of all tuna eaten in the EU but is threatened by piracy The MW Brands Tuna plant in Victoria, Seychelles. The plant is the islands' biggest employer and supplies one-quarter of all tuna eaten in the EU but is threatened by piracy Tania Gomes How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise 315546.bin The MW Brands Tuna plant in Victoria, Seychelles. The plant is the islands' biggest employer and supplies one-quarter of all tuna eaten in the EU but is threatened by piracy Tania Gomes How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise 315547.bin The MW Brands Tuna plant in Victoria, Seychelles. The plant is the islands' biggest employer and supplies one-quarter of all tuna eaten in the EU but is threatened by piracy Tania Gomes How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise 315548.bin The MW Brands Tuna plant in Victoria, Seychelles. The plant is the islands' biggest employer and supplies one-quarter of all tuna eaten in the EU but is threatened by piracy Tania Gomes How the Seychelles became a pirates' paradise 315549.bin The MW Brands Tuna plant in Victoria, Seychelles. The plant is the islands' biggest employer and supplies one-quarter of all tuna eaten in the EU but is threatened by piracy Tania Gomes