Riddles Arise in African Slave Ship Saga

The apparent return of a ferry at the center of a frantic hunt for suspected child slaves raised more questions than answers Tuesday, with puzzled officials unable to say whether the child traffickers were still at large--or if there ever was a slave ship.

The 200-foot ferry that arrived here at 1 a.m. Tuesday carried women and children--but not the 180 captives officials had expected. It bore the name of the rusty vessel that officials had been hunting--the MV Etireno--but it appeared freshly painted white, with another name, Nordby, visible underneath.

Aid workers said at least 31 children were taken from the ferry to two children’s homes. Police and U.N. officials said it was too early to say whether the children were intended for slavery.

U.N. officials kept up an alert for the possibility that there was a second ship carrying slaves.

“We have asked our offices in . . . the region to remain vigilant and not to demobilize,” UNICEF official Zachary Adams said.

Benin’s social protection minister said the ferry may have been confused with another ship whose name and location remain a mystery.

The ferry’s captain, Lawrence Onome, denied any involvement with slavery and said the name of the ship had been changed to Etireno in 1999, although he said he couldn’t prove it. He was not detained.