2 Egyptians held hostage on boat in Nigeria return home

Sami Hegazi
2 Min Read

Two Egyptians kidnapped and held hostage on a ship off the southern coast of Nigeria, have returned home.

The two, named as naval officer Saad Shawky and marine engineer Kiorles Samir, were received on Friday by Ambassador Amr Mahmoud Abbas, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Consular Affairs and Egyptians Abroad.

Shawky and Samir had been aboard the cargo ship, Milan, when it was taken hostage in an incident off the southern coast of Nigeria on 26 November 2020.

The Egyptian Embassy in Abuja exerted intense efforts to communicate with all the relevant authorities and agencies in Nigeria.

The embassy staff, along with the Nigerian authorities, also undertook close, around-the-clock monitoring of the developments regarding the crisis. They also closely coordinated with the company that owns the ship, and the embassies of the countries to which the other kidnapped crew members belong, in order to ensure the safety of the two Egyptians, and to secure their successful release.

The embassy in Abuja maintained contact with Shawky and Samir, and made sure that they contacted their families in Egypt to reassure them of their well-being. The Egyptian embassy in Yaoundé continued to complete the process of returning the two sailors home following their release.

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