A Nigerian pirate who participated in an attack on a Danish frigate is costing Danish taxpayers millions after avoiding jail time and having medical bills for a prosthetic leg paid for by the state.
Lucky Francis, 42, was one of the surviving pirates who attacked a helicopter of the Danish frigate Esbern Snare off the Gulf of Guinea in November 2021. In the shoot-out that followed, Francis was severely injured, resulting in the amputation of one of his legs.
He was brought back to Denmark to face criminal charges, but rather than serving jail time, Francis has now been granted asylum.
Francis was held in custody in Denmark for 384 days but was not sentenced to prison after a custodial sentence was waived due to the “special circumstances” of his injuries.
However, Francis then sought half a million kroner (€67,000) in compensation for his time in custody — despite the fact he was still found guilty of endangering Danish soldiers.
The Copenhagen City Court rejected his compensation demand last month, agreeing with prosecutors that he alone was responsible for his detention.
Despite his criminal record and participation in the attack, Francis applied for asylum in Denmark and was granted residency. He has since been enrolled in language programs and is receiving assistance in finding work, all at the expense of Danish taxpayers.
According to local reports, Francis’s case has already cost Denmark around 4.2 million kroner (€563,000), covering his medical treatment, legal processes, and integration efforts.
Mikkel Bjørn, the integration spokesman for the Danish People’s Party, called the situation “absurd,” stating, “That man should never have been in Denmark, and to imagine that he can now be meaningfully integrated in Denmark is completely beyond the pale.”
Last year, the Nigerian told local media ahead of his asylum request, “‘Going back to Africa will not be good for me. I have thought about my situation.”
