The Nigerian Navy (NN) has expressed concern by the upsurge in cases of stowaways in Nigerian waters. 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.
In a media statement signed by Commodore Adams Aliu, Director of Information for the Nigerian Navy, stated that “Migration as a stowaway is illegal, dangerous and is considered a security threat to shipowners. In line with the strategic directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, 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 Navy warned 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.
