Panaji, Jan 20 (IANS): The Goa government's Commissioner for NRI affairs Narendra Sawaikar on Monday said efforts were being made to repatriate the remains of a Goan seafarer, Britto D'Silva, who was among the 20 seamen who were kidnapped from cargo carrier MV Duke by Nigerian pirates in December.

While 19 of them, including three other sailors from Goa, were released on Sunday, D'Silva reportedly died in captivity.

"We are in touch with officials there," said Sawaikar, whose NRI Commission serves as a liaising agency between Goan expats and the state government.

The Ministry of External Affairs through the Indian High Commission in Nigeria is currently facilitating the efforts to repatriate the remains of D'Silva who hails from Ambelim village in South Goa, as well as the three other Goan sailors, namely Siddharth Naik, Revlon Fernandes and Rego Roby who were released by the pirates.

On December 15 last year, the cargo vessel MV Duke was attacked by Nigerian pirates around 140 nautical miles off Togo.