According to reports by Manorama News, Nigerian court has acquitted the 16 sailors, including 3 Malayalis, who were jailed for crude oil piracy on Saturday. The sailors were on board the Norwegian vessel MT Heroic Idun, which was detained by the Guinean Navy at the behest of Nigeria in August last year. The vessel had 26 sailors, with the remaining crew hailing from Sri Lanka, Poland, and the Philippines.
The ship had anchored on the international maritime boundary of Nigeria after facing some technical issues, when it noticed an approaching boat. Suspecting that the vessel had arrived to steal oil, the Guinea Navy detained the ship and crew the next day. The sailors were taken into custody and interrogated as per the instruction of the Nigerian Navy.
The acquitted sailors had sent their last messages to their families in November 2022, after being detained for several months. V Vijith from Kollam, the brother of Vismaya, who died by suicide following dowry harassment at Sasthamkotta last June, was among the sailors. The other Malayalis were Sanu Jose and Milton Deoth from Kochi.
As reported, ‘Oil piracy is rampant in the Gulf of Guinea’. The Norwegian vessel, owned by OSM Maritime Group, had arrived in Nigeria’s AKPO Terminal to fill crude oil. After being informed of a delay due to technical issues, the ship moved toward the international maritime channel when it was detained by the Guinea Navy.
While the incident had led to the imprisonment of the sailors, the acquittal by the Nigerian court has come as a relief for their families and loved ones.
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