The crew of a Nigerian tugboat freed two weeks ago after being held in captivity for around 10 months by Somali pirates have arrived home, a local television reported Sunday.
The ship — owned by Nigerian ESL Integrated Services — and its 11-man Nigerian crew were captured in the Gulf of Aden on August 4, on its way back from Singapore where it had undergone repairs.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe received them on their arrival in Abuja at his official residence, Channels television said.
The captain of the ship said their freedom was “a miracle” as he was “confused” when the ship was hijacked by the pirates.
“If I came back home alone without the crew members, what would I have told their wives and relations?”, he asked.
“I was confused,” said the captain.
“Our freedom was a miracle”, he added.
Maduekwe said that the government was silent on efforts being made to secure the release of the sailors in order not to jeopardise their security and chances, he said on television which showed footage of the reception held for them.
The release of the Yenegoa Ocean put an end to the longest such hijacking off the coast of Somalia, a maritime watchdog has said.
Foreign ships hijacked by Somali pirates have rarely been held longer than four or five months in the worst cases.
At last count 14 ships are still being held by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, together with more than 200 seamen, almost a fourth of them Filipinos.
They captured 49 ships in total last year.