NO MAN’S ISLAND: Recent Episodes
iMEdD Podcasts
They woke up in their bunks with AK-47s pointed at them, hijacked, and ended up spending weeks held in a jungle prison. Journalist Yannis Papadopoulos talks to three Greek sailors, crew members of the tanker “Happy Lady”, about their time as hostages in the Nigerian jungle. Who are the mysterious pirates ravaging the Gulf of Guinea? How does time pass in a hut in the middle of nowhere when you are guarded by heavily armed men?
The Boss, one of the leaders of the pirates, negotiates the release of the sailors via sat phone. The ransom agreed is not specified. After three weeks as hostages, the eight kidnapped men are released and repatriated. Time in captivity, however, has left its indelible mark.
After a grueling 20 hours at sea, the kidnapped sailors land on solid ground. Deep in the Nigerian jungle, out of contact with the outside world, the clock is ticking. The hut has no walls, only a flimsy roof. Dense vegetation surrounds them. How long will they be here and what other horrors await them?
The eight kidnapped sailors of the “Happy Lady” (five Greeks, two Filipinos and one Ukrainian) board the pirates' small boat. A long journey awaits them. After many hours at sea, they arrive in the jungles of Nigeria. Gruesome thoughts torment the hostages. What if one of the engines broke down? Would the pirates start throwing them overboard one by one to lighten the load?
30 December 2019, Limbo anchorage, 2.5 miles off the coast of Cameroon. Shortly before midnight, a small boat circles the Greek tanker “Happy Lady”. A makeshift ladder hooks onto the rails of the ship. Heavily armed pirates board the vessel. Not seeking cargo or treasure, their prize is one thing. The crew.