Three Kerala sailors detained in Nigeria return home after 9 months

The three Kerala sailors who were detained by the Nigerian Navy on suspicion of engaging in illegal activity in Nigerian territorial waters and defying orders, returned home on Saturday (June 10). Equatorial Guinea first detained the crew. Since August 12, they had been in the custody of the naval force of Equatorial Guinea. They were subsequently handed over to the Nigerian Navy.

Kochi: Three Kerala sailors who had been detained by the Nigerian Navy for nearly a year had an emotional reunion with their families on Saturday afternoon at the Cochin International Airport. 

On the very large crude oil carrier MT Heroic Idun, there were 26 people working, including Milton D'Couth of Mulavukad, Sanu Jose of Elamkulam, and V. Vijith of Kollam. There were 16 Indians, 8 Sri Lankans, and 1 each from the Philippines and Poland.

Recalling their experience over the nine months, they said that towards the end of detention, they suffered a lot due to lack of food and water. They were extremely prone to illnesses like typhoid because of the poor quality of the water. 

The Indian government used its diplomatic channels to secure the sailors' release, according to Hibi Eden, a member of parliament who had strongly campaigned for their release. He said, "The relatives of the sailors were in constant communication with us, and they just wanted to make sure the well-being of their dear ones."

After a months-long legal battle, the Nigerian court dropped all charges against them. Of the 16 Indians, three were from Kerala. Vijith is the brother of Vismaya who died by suicide following a dowry harassment case.

According to a statement released by the sailors earlier, the Norwegian-flagged MT Heroic Idun “was arrested by the Equatorial Guinea naval ship in international waters on 12th August 2022”. The vessel had a total crew of 26 persons, and out of that, we have 16 Indians, 8 Sri Lankans, 1 Polish and 1 Filipino national onboard, the statement read.

On August 8, the ship arrived at Nigeria's APCO Offshore Terminal to load with crude oil. The crew noticed another ship approaching "Heroic Idun" while they waited for their turn. The crew attempted to stay out of the area since they believed the oncoming ship to be a pirate ship, but the Guinean Navy personnel captured the ship.

The crew of the "Heroic Idun" had previously been ordered to leave the Nigerian Exclusive Economic Zone because they lacked technical authorization from the Navy and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to fill crude oil.

Fearing that the unknown ship that had approached her may have been a pirate ship, the crew of the "Heroic Idun" sailed the vessel into international seas. Several of the guys on board the previous ship asked to look at the ship and made claims to be Navy officials. The 'Heroic Idun' also sounded a warning because it had arrived without activating the automatic identifying system. A Nigerian ship that had been following them for a time eventually withdrew. 

On August 14, however, the Guinea Navy intercepted the "Heroic Idun" and captured both the ship and its crew. Additionally seized were the crew members' passports and cell phones. 

The shipping company paid Guinea a sizable fee in September in exchange for the crew's release. However, the Guinean authorities handed over the ship and its crew to the Nigerian authorities rather than releasing the sailors.