"We were forced to drink toilet water"; Keralite sailors released from Nigerian captivity

Three Keralite sailors, who were released from Nigerian captivity after 10 months and reached home on June 10, told media persons that they were forced to drink toilet water in captivity.

The three, Sanu Joseph from Kochi, who was the Chief Officer of the Ship; Heroic Idun along with V. VIjith, third officer of the ship from Kollam and Milton D' couth, who was the ship's oiler from Mulavukad in Kochi, reached home on Saturday.

The ship along with its crew were taken into custody first by Equatorial Guinea on allegations that the ship had crossed its territorial waters and were there in custody for three months.

There were reports that the shipping company had paid a heavy ransom to the Equatorial Guinea, but they were not released and in between the Government of Nigeria brought in fresh charges that the crew in the ship had smuggled oil from Nigerian oil tankers. The Nigerian police took the vessel and the sailors into custody and the ordeal continued for the next eight months. The Government of India as well as several other agencies intervened in the matter and secured the release of the sailors.

The sailors said that they suffered too much in captivity and many of them fell ill due to malarial fever and were to be hospitalised.

One of the sailors said that they had lost hope and never expected to see the family and friends again.

(With inputs from IANS)