The Hindu : Kerala News : End of an ordeal for Murugan’s family

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 27, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala

End of an ordeal for Murugan’s family

Special correspondent

He was kidnapped by Nigerian militants on June 15

Relieved lot: The family of G.Murugan who was released by Nigerian militants on Tuesday. -

Thiruvananthapuram: Krishna Kumari could hardly believe her ears as she picked up the receiver to answer the call that woke her up at 1.30 a.m. “Eleven days of tension melted away in an instant. I felt that God had answered my prayers,” she says, relief in her trembling voice.

At the other end of the line was G.Murugan, her husband, who was kidnapped by Nigerian gunmen on June 15 from his workplace at Sapele in the Niger Delta. As he conveyed the news of his release from captivity, both of them broke down, sobbing.

“All he could say was that he was free and in Government custody. I could not find words to describe my happiness. God has been kind to us,” says Ms. Kumari. Throughout the day, the family was inundated with telephone calls from relatives and friends who came to know of the happy news. By evening, the house wore a festive look.

A resident of Kamaleswaram here and an employee with J.K. Industries, an Indian firm based in Nigeria, Mr. Murugan was kidnapped by militants along with his colleague Antony Maran, a native of Nagercoil. Traumatised by the incident, his family had been pinning all hopes on the Central Government for his safe release.

His family came to know about Mr. Murugan’s disappearance through the media. They contacted his friends in Nigeria who disclosed that he had been kidnapped.

Since then, the desperate family explored every avenue to secure Mr. Murugan’s release. They contacted Vayalar Ravi, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs and E.Ahmed, Minister of State for External Affairs, requesting them to exert pressure on the Nigerian Government to take swift action on the issue.

An expert in rubber technology, Murugan, 41, was working in Nigeria’s restive oil heartland that had seen a spate of kidnappings over the last year. He last visited his family, including children Remya, 7, and Gokul Krishna, 2, in April before leaving for work in May. By the time Mr. Murugan made his second call home at 4 p.m., the whole family including Ms. Kumari’s parents was convinced that the worst was over.

G. Sivanandanan, a relative who talked to Mr. Murugan, said he expressed the hope of returning home soon.

“I was told that Mr.Maran had also been released from captivity. Later in the evening, there was a call from Union Minister E.Ahmed’s office in Delhi informing the family that Mr.Murugan had been officially handed over to the Indian embassy.”

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