Wirral family await return of diver Matthew Maguire held hostage by Nigerian pirates

Jun 15 2009 By Vicki Kellaway

A WIRRAL family was last night anxiously awaiting the return of a diver held hostage for nine months by Nigerian pirates.

Matthew Maguire is now being cared for by the Nigerian authorities after being freed.

But it is unclear when he will be allowed back to Birkenhead.

The 35-year-old was snatched from a boat taking him to work on an oil rig last September.

In an interview Mr Maguire told he feared he would never be freed.

He said: "It was ups and downs. Sometimes they wanted to be friendly and then not so friendly.

"One minute we were going to be released and the next minute we weren't.

"It was hard, very hard and I had bad moments when I didn't think I'd get out."

Mr Maguire said initially the hostages were given little food but their treatment improved when they were handed to a group of villagers.

Mr Maguire added: "Around Christmas they weren't feeding us – I lost a lot of weight.

"My bones were starting to show through, due to lack of food and bad water.

"But from then on it wasn't the militants feeding us – it was people in a Niger Delta fishing village and they fed us well.

"They looked after me and fed me back up because I was starting to feel weak and my strength had gone. I'd like to thank them."

Ex-West Derby Comprehensive pupil Mr Maguire called home on Friday to say he was free. He will be debriefed before flying home.