The patrol team of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS), BEECROFT, has apprehended 11 individuals suspected to be stowaways on board the GWANGZHOU Highway Panama vessel.
The Commander, NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Kolawole Oguntuga, said on Thursday in Lagos, in a statement, the vessel was en route to Ghana at the time of the incident.
Oguntuga was quoted as saying by the Base Information Officer, Sub-Lt. Happiness Collins, that the stowaways were discovered in concealed areas of the stern gate of the ship on Oct. 17.
“Accordingly, Western Regional Control Centre (WRCC) is immediately informed and prompted the vessel to halt within Lagos anchorage,” the statement said.
It added that four stowaways were initially apprehended from the stern of the vessel but upon interrogation, they revealed the presence of an additional seven stowaways inside the ship.
“Following a comprehensive search, these stowaways were uncovered within the ship, bringing the total to 11 stowaways who were promptly disembarked from the vessel and taken into custody,” it said.
The statement said that the apprehended persons included a 19-year-old man, name withheld from Ondo, a 30-year-old man from Delta and another 30-year-old man from Adamawa states.
Others are a 22-year-old man from Ondo, a 37-year-old man from Bayelsa, 27, 28 and 30-year-old men from Delta, a 23-year-old man from Ondo and a 19-year-old man from Zamfara states.
“The commander said that they had been handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) in accordance with the established protocols.
“Apart from the stowaways putting themselves in life-threatening situations during the long voyage at sea, they also present a myriad of safety and security challenges.
“Accordingly, this arrest and handover by the patrol team is an essential reminder of the critical role the Nigerian Navy plays in ensuring maritime security,” the statement said.
It added that the Nigerian Navy under the watch of the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, would continue to maintain the security of the country’s maritime domain.