UNITED VENTURE

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Crew of detained ship asked NIMASA to intervene

The crew of the "United Venture" urged the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to intervene over their alleged unjust detention, insisting they did not commit any crime. The master of the vessel described the plight of the crew in the past nine months. He also said that they had been held captive on the detained vessel. He disclosed that the vessel was under detention at Apapa-Lagos by the order of a court because the owner was in default in payment of bunker fuel supplied to the vessel by his clients of about N40 million. He also said they have not been paid for nine months. According to him, the ordeal of the eight crew members started in July 2017, when the South African managers of the vessel, Pan Afrique Maritime Limited, suddenly abandoned them off-shore after they returned from a trip. They stopped supplying food and bunker to the vessel. On March 23, 2018, the Chinese owner of the vessel paid the crew five months salary out of the nine months owed them, but did not supply them food, water or bunker.