NNS BEECROFT arrests 14 stowaways onboard vessel in Lagos
The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT has announced the arrest of 14 stowaways on board the vessel MT UOG Constantine at Lagos Roadstead on Friday, 15th December, 2023.
The Commander NNS BEECROFT and Maritime Component Commander of Operation AWATSE, Commodore Kolawole Olumide Oguntuga, disclosed that the timely action was prompted by intelligence received from the Maritime Domain Awareness Facility, the Falcon Eye Alignment.
A statement on Tuesday signed by the Base Information Officer, Sub-Lieutenant HA Collins, said the tactical teams swiftly boarded the vessel and discovered movements within the rudder compartment.
The statement disclosed that two of the apprehended stowaways had previously been arrested for a similar offense just a month ago, emphasizing the persistence of such illicit activities.
The navy, in the statement, said that the brave efforts of the patrol team averted life-threatening conditions for the individuals, who were confined in the vessel’s compartment.
The statement listed the arrested individuals as: Osas Nusakare (45, Edo State), Okechi Chika (44, Abia State), Stephen Mmuta (35, Imo State), Ibrahim Hassan (30, Adamawa), Ebuka Onura (22, Enugu State), Emmanuel Godbless (30, Delta State), Ayefuwe Collins (27, Delta State), Victor Egoma (35, Edo State), Alfred Ese (32, Delta State), Abbubakar Ibrahim (20, Zamfara State), Godspower Moses (21, C/Rivers State), Aki Opeoluwa (33, Ogun State), Okonkwo Gift (25, Enugu State) and Oluwa Tosin Sunday (40, Ondo State).
The Nigerian Navy conformed that the stowaways had been handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Service according to established protocols for further necessary action.
“The incident underscores the Nigerian Navy’s unwavering commitment to its constitutional role under the leadership of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral EI Ogalla, reinforcing the dedication to creating a secure maritime environment for the nation’s economic prosperity,” the statement reads in part.
