Nigerian Navy Worries Over Rise In Stowaways

75 stowaways are apprehended by the Nigerian Navy in nine months

The Nigerian Navy apprehends 75 offenders in Lagos and expresses worry over the stowaway surge.

Concerns about the increasing number of stowaways found on ships in Lagos waterways have been voiced by the Nigerian Navy.

These concerns were voiced by Nigerian Navy Director of Information, Commodore A. Adams-Aliu, in a statement released on Wednesday, April 17, in Abuja.

According to the Convention on the Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention), he described stowaways as anyone who enter a ship covertly or hide among its cargo without permission from the captain, shipowner, or other authorized staff.

The statement said, in part, “The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, has implemented a strategic directive to address this growing threat.

“The NN deployed advanced Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) equipment to guide Quick Response Teams (QRT) across Nigerian territorial waters. These efforts have resulted in the apprehension of approximately 75 stowaways between August 2023 and April 2024.

“The stowaways were discovered from from the following vessels MSC MARTHA CHARMINAR Panama, GWANGZHOU HIGHWAY Panama, Natal, CONTAINER VESSEL TEME, GRANDE Guinea, MT UOG Constantine, FRONT ALTIERS, MT Chip, MT ADVANTAGE Love, MT LYSIAS Valletta and MT PRINCESS Erin.”

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has received all apprehended stowaways in accordance with established processes for any additional actions that may be required, according to the Navy Spokesperson.

The Navy also released a report with specifics on stowaway apprehensions that occurred during this time, including the date, name of the vessel, number of stowaways apprehended, location, and relevant remarks.

The paper outlined the risks associated with stowing away, including serious legal ramifications and serious health risks.

These hazards include being exposed to extreme weather, dehydration and starvation, bodily injury, and even death.

The Navy strongly warns young Nigerians not to attempt such dangerous expeditions.

The public was asked to spread this information widely by the spokesperson.

However, the Navy aims to discourage people from taking on such dangerous endeavors by increasing awareness of the dangers associated with stowing away.