Kerala Sailors, Who Were Detained In Nigeria, Return Home After 9 Months

After a harrowing nine-month detention, the Kerala sailors who were held captive by the Nigerian Navy have finally returned home, according to a report by news agency ANI.

The mariners, who arrived at the Kochi airport via Cape Town in South Africa, were greeted with tearful reunions with their families and expressed their gratitude to the Ministry of External Affairs for their support throughout the ordeal.

The incident dates back to last year when 16 Indian crew members aboard the crude oil carrier 'MT Heroic Idun' were detained in Equatorial Guinea, and subsequently in Nigeria, for alleged violations of the international maritime boundary line. Among the 26-member crew, which included eight Sri Lankans and one each from the Philippines and Poland, Milton D'Couth of Mulavukad, Sanu Jose of Elamkulam, and V. Vijith of Kollam were the Indian sailors who experienced this challenging journey.

Milton D'Couth shared his emotions upon returning, stating, "There was this huge excitement and sense of freedom on landing on home soil. Communication was the biggest problem during detention since our captors allowed us access to mobile phones only for a few minutes once in one or two months. They wanted us to communicate with none other than our families," as reported by The Hindu.

The mariners recounted the deteriorating conditions they faced during their detention, including limited food and water supply. They expressed concern about the quality of water provided, which made them vulnerable to diseases such as typhoid. D'Couth described their traumatic experience, saying, "We were locked up in a small room. To be dealt with like criminals despite committing no crime was traumatic."

Initially, the crew was detained by Equatorial Guinea on charges of violating their territorial waters. They remained in the custody of the Equatorial Guinea naval force from August 12, but were later handed over to the Nigerian Navy, as stated in the report.