The Nigerian Navy (NN) has disclosed the arrest of 75 stowaways who attempted to travel out of the country through criminal and unconventional means, hiding under the rudder of cargo ships sailing out of the nation’s waters. This revelation comes as the Navy issued a stern warning regarding the dangers and legal consequences associated with stowaway attempts.
Director, Naval Information, Commodore Adams-Aliu, revealed this in a statement made available to TV Platinum emphasizing the gravity of the situation. He expressed the Navy’s concern over the increasing cases of stowaways in Nigerian waters, stressing the illegal and perilous nature of such actions.
“For clarity,” Commodore Adams-Aliu explained, “the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention) defines a stowaway as someone who is secreted on a ship or in cargo without the consent of the shipowners or the master or any other responsible person.”
In response to this threat, the NN deployed advanced Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) equipment and Quick Response Teams (QRT) across Nigeria’s territorial waters. As a result, the Navy apprehended approximately 75 stowaways between August 2023 and April 2024.
A breakdown of the incidents reveals a pattern of stowaway attempts across various vessels and locations. From August 2023 to April 2024, the NN intercepted stowaways on ships such as MSC MARTHA, Charminar Panama, Gwangzhou Highway Panama, NATAL, Container Vessel Teme, Grande Guinea, MT UOG CONSTANTINE, MT FRONT ALTIERS, MT CHIP, MT Advantage Love, MT Lysias Valleta, and MT PRINCESS ERIN.
Commodore Adams-Aliu highlighted the meticulous operations conducted by the Quick Response Teams, which carefully extracted stowaways concealed within the rudder compartments of the vessels. All apprehended stowaways were subsequently handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) for further necessary action in accordance with established protocols.
The Navy seized the opportunity to caution the public about the grave risks associated with attempting to travel as stowaways. These risks include severe legal consequences and significant health hazards, such as exposure to harsh weather conditions, lack of food and water, injuries, and even death.