Chennai (The Hawk): Three Tamil Nadu sailors are among the 16 Indians aboard the Norwegian oil tanker MT Heroic Idun detained by the Nigerian government on charges of oil theft and other violations. Their families are eagerly awaiting their return.
The three sailors are Thoothukudi native Prispan Xavier, Ambur native Ramapuram Sukumaran Harsha, and Chennai native Deepan Babu.
The crew was reportedly brought before a Nigerian court in Port Harcourt, where they pled not guilty and were sent back to the oil tanker.
Salo, the wife of Prispan, told the media on Wednesday that they anticipate an early release of the Indian sailors from Nigerian authorities' custody. She stated that the family was concerned about Xavier's fate and pleaded with the Indian authorities to secure her husband's release.
Soumya, Deepan's wife, stated that her husband's parents were not informed of the incident.
Notably, an application has been filed with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea pursuant to Article 292 of the United Nations Convention for the release of the tanker and its 26 crew members, including 16 Indians.
Since August, Equatorial Guinea has had custody of the oil tanker, which was recently transferred to Nigeria.
The Nigerian government has accused the ship's crew of making false accusations that they were attacked by pirates.
(Inputs from Agencies)