NEW DELHI: Sixteen Indian sailors who got detained in Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria nine months back finally returned home on Saturday. The sailors faced accusations of oil theft by the Nigerian authorities, underwent trials and when finally a settlement was agreed upon, they were set free.
Oil tanker MT Heroic Idun and its 26 crew members, 16 of whom are Indian nationals, had been in detention since August 2022, initially in Equatorial Guinea and subsequently in Nigeria (they moved there in November 2022).
The ship and crew were accused of various crimes, including oil theft and falsely accusing the Nigerian Navy of piracy. “From the outset, Government of India, through its Missions in Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria, and in bilateral meetings, took up the matter with the respective foreign authorities at various levels. They were pressed for early resolution of the issue and repatriation of the Indian crew members,’’ say sources.
Following interventions with the Nigerian government, the crew was allowed to remain on board the ship with provision of regular food, instead of being taken to a detention centre. They were allowed periodic contact with their families.