Detained in West Africa for nine months, 16 Indian sailors return

The ship had a total of 26 crew members. The 16 Indians were first detained in Equatorial Guinea in August 2022 and later moved to Nigeria in November 2022.

The Indian government 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, sources said.

Sources also said that following interventions with the Nigerian government, the crew were allowed to remain on board with provision of regular food, instead of being detained 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,” a source said.

Officials aware of the matter said that the Indian mission worked with the shipping company to arrange legal representation for the crew. “It was highlighted to the Nigerian authorities that there had been no oil theft; necessary permissions had apparently been accorded; and that the crew was not privy to the decisions of operations. Humanitarian issues of some of the crew members were also highlighted,” one of the sources said.