New Delhi, July 4 : 11 Indians who had been languishing in a Nigerian prison for two years have been released, confirmed External Affairs Sushma Swaraj. Employees of a Merchant Navy firm, the crew’s ship got stranded in Nigeria and the entire crew was arrested for violating laws of international waters in 2014. In a tweet, Swaraj also appreciated the efforts of High Commissioner in Nigeria B N Reddy for expediting their repatriation. Meanwhile, Swaraj has said that the Government is making all efforts to secure the release of two Indians abducted from Gboko, a town in the Benue state of north-central Nigeria. One of the captive is Anish Sharma from Karnataka and another is Mangipudi Sai Srinivas from Andhara Pradesh. Both were travelling to Dangote Cement Plant in a car from their residential quarters last Wednesday, when a group of armed men kidnapped them at a traffic signal. Swaraj said that she spoke to Anish Sharma’s wife and assured her that the Government is doing its best to secure their release from abductors. In a tweet she said she has deputed a senior officer to update the family regularly. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup had on Friday described the abduction as “nothing surprising or new in that area”, saying such incidents keep happening there.
