The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT has handed over three suspected stowaways arrested aboard a merchant vessel to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) for further investigation and necessary action.
The suspects were intercepted on Monday, September 14, 2026, aboard MV Maersk Calabar while the vessel was underway around the Lagos Fairway Buoy.
The Commander of NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams Aliu, disclosed this during a press conference, explaining that the operation followed a tip off from the Western Regional Control Centre.
According to him, the NNS BEECROFT Quick Reaction Team stationed at Tarkwa Bay moved to intercept the vessel after receiving the information and successfully extracted the suspects from the vessel’s propeller compartment.
The three suspects were subsequently taken to NNS BEECROFT, where they underwent preliminary investigation and profiling before being handed over to immigration authorities.
They were identified as Isaiah Oyetayo, 30; Goddey Ajinde Samson, 26; and Popoola Felix, 28.
Adams Aliu said preliminary findings indicated that the suspects allegedly boarded MV Maersk Calabar on September 14 while the vessel was at Apapa Port. They reportedly used a canoe to gain access to the ship before hiding inside the propeller compartment.
Their presence was discovered after the vessel commenced its voyage, prompting the intervention of NNS BEECROFT and the subsequent rescue and arrest operation.
The commander warned that unauthorised access to vessels and attempts to embark on illegal sea journeys expose individuals to serious dangers, including suffocation, drowning and other life threatening conditions, while also creating security risks for vessels and their crews.
He urged parents, guardians and community leaders to discourage young people from attempting dangerous irregular migration by sea. He also reaffirmed that NNS BEECROFT would continue to support the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, in safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime interests and strengthening joint security operations.