NEW DELHI: Sixteen Indian sailors who got detained in Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria nine months back returned home on Saturday.
The sailors faced accusations of oil theft by the Nigerian authorities and underwent trials and when 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, the 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 were allowed to remain on board the ship with the provision of regular food, instead of being taken to a detention centre on land. They were also allowed periodic contact with their families. Indian Mission officials remained in regular touch with the crew and also undertook consular access on numerous occasions. "The Indian Mission worked with the shipping company for legal representation to be arranged for the crew. It was highlighted to the Nigerian authorities that there had been no oil theft; necessary permissions had apparently been accorded and the crew was not privy to the decisions of operations. Humanitarian issues of some of the crew members were also highlighted,’’ sources added. Following lengthy negotiations, all charges against the crew were dropped and the ship was released on May 27 after paying fines.
