MT Heroic Idun: Court To Start Crew Members’ Trial Tuesday

The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt will on Tuesday commence the trial of 16 foreign crew members of an arrested super vessel, MT Heroic Idun.

Recall that MT Heroic Idun was arrested on August 12, 2022 in Equatorial Guinea shortly after fleeing Nigeria on the fake alarm that it was being pursued by sea pirates.

The court had in November 2022, ordered that all the 26 crew members of the vessel be remanded inside the ship until the commencement of their trial.

The 16 foreign crew members, who are citizens of Poland, India, Sri-Lanka, and Pakistan as well as 10 others were charged to court by the federal government on three counts.

The charges bordered on unlawful entrance into Akpo oil field, raising false piracy alarm to avoid arrest and an attempt to lift crude oil without clearance.

During a recent visit to Port Harcourt, the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Awwal Ibrahim Gambo, had expressed the hope that the trial of the vessel and the crew members would discourage others from engaging in such unpatriotic act.