LAGOS (AFP) - The 20 Eastern European crew of a tanker hijacked off Nigeria nearly a week ago were freed along with the vessel on Friday, officials said, amid mounting concern at West African pirate attacks. Details of the release of the crew as well as the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Cape Bird were unclear, including whether a ransom was paid or if the ship's fuel cargo was stolen -- the motive for many hijackings in the region. A spokesman for Georgia's foreign ministry, Irakli Vekua, said "the Georgian government and the ship owners have been holding intensive negotiations" with the pirates.