Four stowaways hiding on a Dubai-bound ship have been arrested by the Nigerian Navy. The incident occurred when the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft patrol team intercepted a Container Vessel TEME Express en route to Dubai. The stowaways were successfully extracted and apprehended by the navy officers on routine patrol.
The Nigerian Navy received information from the Maritime Domain Awareness Facility, the Falcon Eye Alignment, regarding the presence of stowaways on the vessel.
Tactical teams were dispatched to the ship, which was located at Lagos Anchorage.
Upon arrival, the teams noticed movements inside the rudder compartment and boarded the ship to extract the four stowaways.
The stowaways were found with a bag filled with snacks and another polybag containing sachet water.
The arrested stowaways were identified as Ebi Agrive (22) from Bayelsa state, Lucky Amusu (23) from Lagos state, Goodness Edu (28) from Akwa Ibom state, and Michael Daniel (18) from Ondo state.
The stowaways were handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in accordance with established protocols.
The Commander of NNS Beecroft, Commodore Kolawole Oguntuga, highlighted the dangers faced by stowaways during long voyages at sea, as well as the security threats they pose to the crew and the nation’s image.
The arrest and handover of the stowaways demonstrate the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to maritime security and the economic prosperity of Nigeria.
Some of the stowaways shared their motivations for attempting to board the ship, including escaping difficult living conditions and seeking a better life.