The Nigerian Navy is reporting that it again seized several stowaways as it is grappling with a growing problem of stowaways attempting to hide on outbound ships. The authorities arrested five suspects who were hiding in the rudder compartment of a bulk carrier berthed at the Lagos port complex.
The Nigerian Navy said the five, who are aged between 24 and 43 years, were apprehended attempting to hide in the rudder compartment of the bulker Chinafrie Happiness (174,413 dwt). The 289-meter (948-foot) vessel sails under the flag of Liberia. It is Chinese-owned and was berthed alongside the Tin Can Island Port, bound for India.
The suspects were discovered on June 17 and were taken to the Nigerian Navy ship, where they underwent preliminary investigation and profiling before being handed over to the immigration service.
“The handover forms part of ongoing collaborative efforts among security agencies to curb illegal migration and enhance maritime safety and security,” said Sub-Lietenant AO Ajayi, Naval Assistant to Commander NNS Beecroft.
Ajayi added that with Nigeria recording increasing cases of stowaways in its seaports, it has now become important for the country to discourage youths from attempting to board seagoing vessels illegally.
In March, the Nigerian Navy arrested three suspected Ghanaian stowaways rescued from the 2008-built oil/chemical tanker MV Anatolia (IMO: 9388003) and who were trying to illegally migrate to Europe. The suspects were discovered concealed within the rudder compartment of the vessel that sails under the flag of Panama while the ship was berthed at the Dangote terminal in Lagos.
According to risk intelligence firm Castor Vali, stowaways have become a persistent operational risk for vessel owners operating in Nigeria and the wider West African maritime corridor. Last year, vessels recorded approximately 2,300 stowaway-related incidents, with some foreign shipping lines experiencing two to three cases per week.
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The firm highlights that the stowaway problem is fast becoming costly owing to the fact that each confirmed stowaway can attract a sanction of around $2,000, contributing to annual costs estimated at roughly $4.6 million in Nigeria alone.
Total exposure can approach $30,000 per incident when other factors like repatriation, delay, security management, and compliance handling are taken into account. Some of the stowaways have been successful, with stowaways captured in the Canary Islands and a group that made it across the Atlantic to Brazil on the rudder of a ship.