Switzerland has filed a case against Nigeria at the  international court over the detention of a tanker vessel for over a year and four months.

The ship, crew and cargo have been under detention off Port Harcourt.

According to  a statement, the Swiss Foreign Ministry disclosed that it had since May 21 requested the International Tribunal in charge of the Law of the Sea to order Nigeria to release the tanker vessel, its crew and cargo.

The tanker vessel was arrested for entering Nigerian waters illegally and trafficking in diesel.

However, the captain of the ship had denied the allegations, saying he had all papers covering him and the transactions.

Some crew members, except four Ukrainians, had already been allowed to leave the ship which has the capacity for 5,500 tonnes of cargo.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry said the ship and the cargo had been losing their value, “causing increasing damage to the companies involved.”