After being detained in Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria for nine months, 16 Indian sailors have finally returned home. The sailors, who were accused of oil theft by Nigerian authorities, arrived at Kochi Airport in Kerala after undergoing trials and reaching a settlement. They were greeted with warm welcomes and garlands by their families and Indian authorities.
The crew of the ‘MT Heroic Idun,’ who were in detention since August 22, were released with a warning to carefully conduct their maritime-related activities. One of the sailors, Sanu Jose, expressed his gratitude to the government of India and the Kerala government for their help during the uncertain time.
Another sailor, V Vijith, commended the Government of India for their tremendous effort in getting all the sailors released. He revealed that the value of their passports played a significant role in their release and thanked the Ministry of External Affairs and G. Balasubramanian, High Commissioner of India to Nigeria, for their support.
Out of the 26 crew members, 16 were Indians who were first detained in Equatorial Guinea in August 2022 and later moved to Nigeria in November 2022. The value of their passports and the efforts of the Indian government ultimately led to their safe return home.
The detained sailors’ safe return is a testament to the strength and support of the Indian government and highlights the importance of diplomatic relations between countries.
