Abuja — Graham Egbegi, captain of the ship, MV Yenagoa Ocean, hijacked on August 5, 2008 by Somali pirates, yesterday said he and nine others aboard the ship lived daily for 10 months between life and death in the camp of the pirates.

Egbedi, David Akpoguma, Namo Musa, Usman Ochoche Agida, Lucky Edoja, John Nkanu, Effiong Joseph, Emma Okon Timothy, Okuns Kalikio and Bassey Etim were hijacked while sailing back home to Nigeria via the Indian Ocean route with their newly purchased vessel. Their hijackers, Somali pirates gave them an option of $1 million ransom fee or face summary execution.

The crew, who arrived the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 12.30 p.m. aboard Ethiopian Airline to the embrace of the Minister of Defence, Shettima Mustafa, some security personnel and officials of Ministry of Defence, said they had what he called a traumatic experience in Somalia. They were set free by the pirates on June 5 after a $43,000 ransom was paid to their captors.

"It was traumatic to wake up daily to face bazookas, rocket launchers and other high caliber weapons pointing at you," adding "each morning we felt it would be our last," he said.

Flanked by the other crew members, one of them said.

"But I want to thank God Almighty, I thank the President and everybody for taking the time, making the efforts to make sure that Nigerians in dire need, Nigerians in distress are not forgotten. Every effort made by government to bring us back home I do appreciate and myself and the rest of the crew will remain eternally grateful for the rest of our lives," he said.

The pirates, who were members of the Siwaqron clan, had kept the ship in Habo, a port in Somalia's northern Puntland region, according to the Director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Centre in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States, Omar Jamal.

The Somali-American, who led the talks to free the ship and crew, said that the pirates released the tugboat after friends and relatives of the hostages raised a $43,000 ransom.

He said the ship and its crew were released after a week of negotiations and that he and Jeffrey Egbegi, brother of the captain, sent the money to the pirates through an Islamic Hawala money-transfer service.

It was gathered that the ship owners had claimed that they had no money to pay the ransom for freeing the boat. Indications are that the pirates were simply worn down from almost a year of having to feed their hostages.

The Minister of Defence, Mustafa, had earlier described as shocking the experience the crew must have gone through. "When this thing happened to you last year we were all shocked, I am sure the 10 months you were there must have been traumatic not only to you but members of your family also.

"I know what we have psychologically gone through here. We have been summoned to the National Assembly on the efforts we were taking to get you released. Ultimately, we thank God Almighty for rescuing the ship as well as you all. Relative to the situation you were in I hope you are reasonably healthy.

"I as Minister of Defence having been involved in efforts to get you out, I felt I should also put a personal touch to come and welcome you all. I know my colleague in (Ministry of) Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, with whom we have worked jointly, will receive you later. I just felt I should come to the airport and welcome you back home.

"I urge us all to continue to pray that this kidnapping, hijacking which is not a sweet experience do not occur again. Let's do all within our powers internally and externally to prevent it", he said.

The minister also said that piracy became a thriving "business" in Somalia when the country slid into chaos after warlords toppled former military dictator, Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. Many pirates, he said, describe themselves as "coastguards" protecting their waters against illegal fishing and dumping of toxic waste.

It will be recalled that the Senate had, in April this year, summoned Mustafa, Maduekwe and the Minister of Interior, Maj-Gen Godwin Abbe (rtd) to appear before it to explain what they knew about the abandonment of a Nigerian ship and its 10-man crew that was captured by the Somali pirates.

Similar invitation was extended to the National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen Sarki Muktar (rtd) and the Chairman/Chief Executive of ESL Integrated Services Limited, Mr. George Onokpite.

The resolution by the Senate was consequent upon a motion co-sponsored by Senators Victor Ndoma-Egba, Effiong Bob and Muhammed Mana. The motion was entitled: "Abandonment of Nigerian Ship and Crew in Captivity in Somalia."

According to Ndoma-Egba, "on or about Tuesday, August 5, 2008, a 10-man all Nigerian crew, sailing back home to Nigeria via the Indian (sic) Ocean route, with their vessel freshly purchased and delivered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, were intercepted and captured by Somali militants/pirates who were demanding $1 million as ransom fee or failure which they threatened to subject their captives to summary execution."

He noted that several months after the ship was hijacked and the crew members taken hostage, nothing substantial had been done by the Federal Government or the owner of the ship to secure their release.