The Nigerian Navy Ship BEECROFT on Wednesday handed over three suspected stowaways to the Nigerian Immigration Service, tightening the noose on illegal maritime migration along Nigeria’s coastline.
The suspects were formally transferred at the BEECROFT parade ground in Lagos, following their rescue from a merchant vessel, MT Anatolia, in an operation underscoring inter-agency cooperation.
Commanding Officer of NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Aiwuyor Augustine Adams-Aliu, said the exercise reflects sustained collaboration among security agencies to curb irregular migration and strengthen maritime security.
He explained that a stowaway is an individual who secretly boards a vessel with the intent of travelling illegally across international borders without due authorisation.
According to him, the trio was discovered on March 28 concealed in the vessel’s rudder compartment while the ship was berthed at Dangote Terminal, Lagos, in a development that raised fresh concerns over maritime vulnerabilities.
Naval personnel promptly evacuated the men from the confined compartment and transferred them to NNS BEECROFT, where preliminary investigations and profiling were conducted.
Initial findings identified the suspects as Armah Peter (26), Amisah Daniel (22) and Amoh Michael (25), all nationals of Ghana.
Further investigation revealed that the men had travelled from Ghana to Abidjan, where they reportedly lived and worked as fishermen for about a year before embarking on the risky journey.
They allegedly used a canoe to access the vessel’s rudder compartment prior to its departure from Ivorian waters, hoping to reach Europe undetected, but later alerted the crew after mistakenly believing they had arrived.
The Navy warned parents and community leaders across West Africa to caution youths against such perilous ventures, stressing that the risks far outweigh any perceived opportunity abroad.
Adams-Aliu reaffirmed that NNS Beecroft will remain aligned with the strategic directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff to sustain a professional force capable of defending Nigeria’s maritime domain and supporting national security objectives.