The desperation by Nigerians to escape poverty and hardship that have defined their present state, and to seek greener pastures in the Western world has raised concern, following the increased number of youths who are stowing away on ships.

These youths between ages 20 and 45, who come from different parts of the country, sometimes sneak into the Lagos ports and make their way to ships preparing to set sail. They would climb up the anchor chain and hide behind a stack of crates, holding their breath as the crew cast off.

Saturday Vanguard reliably gathered that at other times, these youths would spend two to three days in coastal communities where they would monitor foreign ships leaving from the Apapa or Tin-Can Ports.

Immediately, they saw one, they would charter wooden canoes from the coastal communities, pretending to be fishermen, only to paddle behind the vessels.

These vessels are trailed to the Lagos Channel or Fairway Boy, from where these youths would sneak in, under the cover of darkness and hide themselves inside the rudder compartment of the vessels, as the ships set sail. While some of them successfully reached their destinations in Europe, luck ran against others who were arrested by eagle-eyed naval personnel .

75 stowaways arrested

Statistics released by the Nigerian Navy showed that 75 stowaways were arrested in eight months.

A breakdown of the arrest as revealed by the Director of Information, Commodore Aiwiyor Adams-Aliu , showed that five persons were arrested on the Lagos Channel in August 2023, onboard a vessel – MSC Martha; eight stowaways onboard vessel Charminar Panama, were in September 2023, at the Lagos Fairway Bouy; 11 in a vessel with the name GWANGZHOU HIGHWAY PANAMA, on the Lagos channel, in October and eight others inside a ship named NATAL on the Lagos Fairway Bouy, in November , all in 2023.

The month of December 2023 recorded the highest arrest of stowaways, with 20 persons , on three different ships: MT UOG CONSTANTINE, with 14 stowaways; a container vessel TEME with four stowaways , both on the Lagos Channel and two stowaways in a vessel named GRANDE GUINEA , on the Lagos Fairway Bouy. The statistics also revealed that in January 2024, three stowaways were arrested in the vessel- FRONT ALTIERS, on the Lagos Fairway Bouy and four on MT CHIP on the Lagos channel in the month of February.

Two arrests were made in two different ships in the month of March, with three stowaways on MT ADVANTAGE LOVE and nine on MT LYSIAS VALLETTA , while the month of April recorded arrest of four stowaways on MT PRINCESS ERIN , on the Lagos Channel.

Navy raises concern

Expressing the Nigerian Navy’s concern over the surge in cases of stowaways on Nigerian waters, its Director of Information, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, described the action as illegal.

According to him : “ For clarity, 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. Migration as a stowaway is illegal, dangerous and is considered a security threat to shipowners”.

He said that the arrest of the 75 stowaways was in line with the strategic directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.


Commodore Adams-Aliu, said, “ the NN deployed advanced Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) equipment to vector Quick Response Teams (QRT) to all parts of Nigeria’s territorial waters. Consequently, the NN apprehended about 75 stowaways from August 2023 to April 2024.

“During the operations, the QRT carefully extracted the stowaways who had concealed themselves inside the rudder compartment of the vessels. All apprehended stowaways were handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service,NIS in accordance with the established protocols for further necessary action.

“The NN wishes to enlighten the general public on the dangers of attempting to travel as a stowaway. These include severe legal consequences and significant health risks such as negative effects of harsh weather conditions, lack of food and water, injuries and even death. Hence, the NN uses this opportunity to discourage Nigerian youths from embarking on such misadventures.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/04/japa-nigerian-youths-opt-for-stowing-on-ships/

Toh

Deadly!

If you can say country hard and try stowaway mode, you are not different from Boko boys that can do anything.

Life is hard, suicide is not an option.

Shark food tueh

Better than this shithole of a country.

Useless youths. No sensible person will ever think of such

I advice youths to japa at every opportunity. Nigeria is frustrating and not youth friendly.

Majority of them na ojukokoro

Nobody send anybody msg

After shouting e go favor me and my family

These are the class of people who need to Japa! They have nothing to lose.

Not those who are already doing well for themselves in Nigeria.

When the wicked rule, the people mourn.

MMempire:
Better than this shithole of a country.

Why don't u follow Libya by land to escape this country since this country will never favour u and ur family and ur offsprings.

It's a good advice ooh, anything to avoid this country is welcomed even if na Burundi u go, else u will be a waste of space here as u have always been bro..I love you that is why I advice u

If dem fit package me for cargo sef on delta flight to Atlanta,I go dey happy

We all as a matter of urgency will leave Nigeria because things are getting tougher day in day out

garriAndsugar:
After shouting e go favor me and my family

Don't be delusional like ur likes, these are not those shouting it will favour me and my family

These are Obidients who vowed to vacate the country should bulaba emerge the winner..

Don't twist the narrative, at least have some pride

garriAndsugar:
After shouting e go favor me and my family

Comrade lower your voice.
It couldn't favour their family, they are now running for the delusion thinking favour.

helinues:
Toh

Did you see PitObi there......he wants to japa as well...
What do we do pls?

2Radii:
Don't be delusional like ur likes, these are not those shouting it will favour me and my family

These are Obidients who vowed to vacate the country should bulaba emerge the winner..

Don't twist the narrative, at least have some pride

Lols I guess you didn't read the first paragraph from the writer ....
Anyway what concerns Epin Pawa with reading....who dash you strength?

Nigeria is a very useless corrupt evil humaneless evil backward country
Pls get out of her while you can so that it wouldn’t happen to you

Mushmush:
Useless youths. No sensible person will ever think of such

smh

id4sho:
Shark food tueh

shark don't eat humans... Only when you bleed

Another risk here is if you then realised that the boat is going to China or Cambodia or even gaza and not Europe

D

Omo

Who's watched 'Blood Vessel'?

MMempire:
Better than this shithole of a country.

To Japa as a stowaway is very dangerous. It's too risky and hazardous.

Your life is precious bro. It is not worth it.

If you see any opportunity to japa, do not think twice about it. Nigeria is completely dead.

2Radii:
Why don't u follow Libya by land to escape this country since this country will never favour u and ur family and ur offsprings.

It's a good advice ooh, anything to avoid this country is welcomed even if na Burundi u go, else u will be a waste of space here as u have always been bro..I love you that is why I advice u

Go and give the advice to your father that brought out the waste of a child like you to this world.