Sailor abducted by pirates off Nigeria returns
Ravinder Saini
Tribune News Service
Mahendragarh, January 2
Jai Singh Yadav (25), who along with 17 other Indians and one resident of Turkey was abducted by pirates off the Nigerian coast on December 3 last year, has returned home safely to his native Deroli Ahir village in the district.
Third-officer with Mumbai-based Anglo Eastern ship Management Private Limited Company, Yadav was on board a Hong Kong-flagged vessel when pirates attacked it and took all 19 sailors hostage.
“The armed pirates kept us hostage in a dense forest for 20 days. They gave us only rice to eat, that too once a day. We had to eat it for survival. We were surrounded by over 30 armed persons round-the-clock and they did not let us go anywhere,” said Jai Singh. He thanked the Centre and his company for their efforts for their release and said the pirates did not torture the sailors.
Jai Singh’s father Surender said that his son and 18 others were rescued on December 23. Thereafter, the Nigerian government got their medical examination done and completed other formalities. Jai reached Mumbai on December 29 and again underwent medical tests before coming home on the night of December 31.
“Jai’s safe return is the biggest New Year’s gift for our family. We were spending sleepless night ever since he was kidnapped,” said Surender.
