Family members of a 10-man Nigerian crew held in captivity by Somali pirates since August 2008 have appealed to Nigerian Senate President David Mark to intervene to save their breadwinners from imminent death.
A petition signed by Trigo Egbegi, Dorcas Akpoguma, Usman Pindar, Isama Williams, Dressman Sunny and Esther Bassey lamented the cold indifference of the ship owners, identified as ESL Integrated Services Limited, on whose behalf the crew sailed across Somalia, to the desperate plight of the ill-fated Nigeria crew members now held hostage by Somali pirates.
“A major life-threatening development involving no fewer than 10 productive and able-bodied citizens on legitimate duty outside the country’s frontiers looks to have been dismissed as irrelevant,” the statement said.
Members of the Nigerian crew were sailing back to Nigeria on August 5, 2008 after purchasing a new vessel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, when they were seized by Somali pirates who demanded a ransom in the sum of $1 million.
It is not clear what the fate of the Nigerian crew is at the time of this report since the pirates had threatened swift death if their demands were not met. However, the press statement sent to Sahara Reporters by the crew members’ family representatives indicates that the Nigerian captives are still alive, although they have been at the receiving end of unspeakable viciousness from their Somali captors.
The statement says the crew members have been subjected to “brutality, starvation, contaminated drinking water and poor health,” adding that on one occasion, one of the Nigerian captives suffered partial stroke but did not receive of any medical attention.
The Nigerian government routinely negotiates with militants in its Niger Delta who now habitually take high-profile government leaders and their family members in the Niger Delta hostage, although the government has repeatedly vowed never to negotiate with foreign militants.
The family members of the Nigerian captives, however, want the government to take a cue from such countries as France, Spain, Ukraine, the US and China who have helped to negotiate for the release of their nationals who were captured by the same Somali pirates.
In the unlikely event that the government is unwilling or unable to negotiate for the release of their breadwinners, the family members want the government to, at the very least, prevail on ESL Integrated Services Limited, owners of the vessel, to enter into negotiations with the Somali pirates.
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