Nigerian Navy Finds 5 Stowaways In India-Bound Vessel’s Rudder Compartment

The Nigerian Navy found 5 men hiding inside a commercial vessel’s rudder compartment at Lagos.

The men were trying to reach India without any travel documents, authorities confirmed.

The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT handed the individuals to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) on Monday after conducting an investigation.

The men were found onboard the MT CHINAFRIE HAPPINESS while it was docked at Tin Can Island Port.

The rudder compartment is a small, enclosed space at a ship’s stern which cannot accommodate human beings.

There is no food, water or any provisions available there, and the voyage from Lagos to India takes around three weeks, even via the Suez Canal, which offers a shorter route.

The navy identified the men as Segun Samuel Boyewa (31), Kingsley Chukwu (43), Joseph Judge (33), Moses Aletor (24), and Abdullahi Danlami (31).

Sub-Lieutenant AO Ajayi, naval assistant to the NNS BEECROFT commander, said the handover is part of a wider collaboration among security agencies to curb illegal migration.

All five men were safely evacuated from the ship and taken to the naval base for identification before they were transferred.

Commodore Aiwuyor Adams Aliu, who commands the base, urged parents, guardians and community leaders to tell young people about the dangers of trying to board vessels illegally.