By Steve Agbota, [email protected]
•Four stowaways found alive in the rudder trunk of a Liberian-flagged ship after a 5,000 nautical mile voyage from Nigeria to Brazil
In recent times, the rising incidents of stowaways in the nation’s seaports, especially in Lagos terminals, have reached unprecedented levels, with players raising the alarm that the development must be checked so Nigeria’s image is not further dented internationally.
The Lagos Port Complex Apapa and Tin-Can Island Port Complex are the busiest ports linking the nation with the globe for trade, but the influx of ships in and out of these ports also pose opportunities for stowaways to sneak into them.
From records, Lagos ranks among the top 10 cities in the world notorious for stowaways.
The more deserving accomplishments for Lagos ports is to be the leading ports in the sub-region and Africa, the reality is that Lagos ports are becoming more famous for numerous ills and challenges including stowaways which continues to record a higher number of cases over the years.
Just last week, the Nigerian Navy said it arrested 75 stowaways on Nigeria’s waterways between August 2023 and April 2024. Among the African countries, Nigeria is said to have highest number of stowaway cases.
The Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention), defines a stowaway as a person who is secreted on a ship, or in cargo which is subsequently loaded on the ship, without the consent of the ship-owner or the master or any other responsible person and who is detected on board the ship after it has departed from a port, or in the cargo while unloading it in the port of arrival, and is reported as a stowaway by the master to the appropriate authorities.
However, the issue of stowaway has given Nigeria a bad image before international community as most of the youth between the 20 to 35 fleeing away illegally usually attributed their actions to the economic hardship and political instability in Nigeria after being caught.
Last year, two of the four rescued Nigerian stowaways narrated how they survived 14 days on a ship’s rudder by drinking their urine before being rescued off the coast of Brazil.
The four stowaways were said to be fleeing the economic hardship and political instability in Nigeria and reportedly climbed into a space above the rudder of a cargo ship and hoped to reach Europe.
Last December, nine Nigerian stowaways who attempted to travel to Europe through The Gambia were received by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
The stowaways, who are between the ages of 21 and 30, were discovered by the captain of the ship they were hiding on and were handed over to the Gambian immigration authorities. They were then repatriated to Nigeria through Asky Airlines.
Daily Sun learnt that few stowaway stories have happy endings as they are often granted asylum in country of destination while some may cause huge inconvenience, fines and expense on the shipping companies and occasionally end in disaster or repatriation.
Conversely, it is an indisputable fact that stowaways constitute a threat to maritime security and the shipping industry; as they have the capability to endanger ship and cargo and interfere with the smooth running of shipping operations.
Maritime security experts who spoke to Daily Sun said the best way to curb the menace of stowaway at the Seaports is allow Customs to do rummages on ships as it will make Customs to discover any illegal migration (stowaway).
Daily Sun also learnt that having stowaways on board is evidence of breach in port security management and considered as the ship and ports not in compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code.
However, the Navy, in a statement on Wednesday by its Director of Information, Commodore A. Adams-Aliu, said migration as a stowaway was illegal and dangerous.
He also called for caution as the act constitutes security threats to ship and crew.
“The Nigerian Navy is concerned 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.
“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 equipment to vector Quick Response Teams to all parts of Nigeria’s territorial waters. Consequently, the NN apprehended about 75 stowaways from August 2023 to April 2024.”
Aliu said five stowaways were nabbed from a ship named MSC Martha in August 2023 and eight from another ship named Charminar Panama in September.
In addition, 11 stowaways were arrested from Guangzhou Highway Panama in October; eight from Natal in November; four from Teme in December; two from Grande Guinea and 14 from MT UOG Constantine.
He said in January 2024, three were arrested from Front Altiers; four from MT Chip; three from MT Advantage Love; nine from MT Lysias Valletta and four from MT Princess Erin in February, March and April respectively.
A maritime security expert, Gbenga Oyewole, told Daily Sun that it is very unfortunate that the driving force for people that want to leave was not being matched with equal or equivalent security consciousness in the port.
He said the pressure for people to go away is very obvious because of the economy and situation of thing as everybody think is better out there, where as is not but it is difficult to explain that to anybody.
“But come to the security at the port like you said, the people that will be able to do the job very well apart from the regular security agencies would be the Customs. But unfortunately, the Customs may be quite up to date when you are talking about cargo, I mean dry cargo. They do their rummaging and all that.
“When you are talking about tanker vessel especially those ones that do not get to the port, Customs care less about them. They don’t collect any money from them as we are aware. There is no duty paid on petroleum products to that extent, Customs are also not too bothered about them because there is money that will collect from them.
“So those people that work on the tanker vessel, there is nothing called rummages. That is one aspect. On the hand, we have not adhered to the conditions of artwork clearance in Nigeria properly. You find out that even ship finds in Nigeria but ended up in Cotonou water, did STS and other African counties but they spend a litte to Nigeria has also collected its artwork clearance in many cases from Nigeria because Nigeria was port of their destination. How that has happened nobody can say,” he said.
He pointed out that the bad or the sad part of it is that even though those vessel that get to the port, by the time they payment clearance from Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) or from NIMASA having paid the duty or whatever obligation they hold to NPA or Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA. Many of them take it as artwork sailing clearance.
According to him, artwork sailing clearance can only be given by the Customs and that is upon rummages the ship and satisfying that this ship is fit to berth in another country, saying in the course of rummages, Customs will discover the people that want to stowaway in many cases.
He said because that is not done on many tankers, this could have allowed such illegality to persist.
“Now that we are paying normal price for petrol and diesel, when you compared the purchasing price with the landing cost in Nigeria, nothing stops the government from saying Customs too can collect some little money from the importers and that does not add to the landing cost. That is what the importers will cry.
“Remember, when they first started, they thought it was impossible, they got 50 per cent rebate on Customs duty during Obasanjo, later they got 100 per cent, say don’t pay Customs again. I’m not saying they should be paying now but it could be something little maybe like 50 kobo on every litre. At least, it will make the Customs to want to rummage these vessels and they will probably discover many of these illegal acts (stowaway) from the seafarers. That may stop it on a national level.
“The economy will be revive as soon as possible so that prices of goods will come down. Income of people will grow and life in Nigeria will begin to be better. Nobody really want to go and become a gateman outside the country after having a BSC or HND here. Being a graduate in Nigeria, nobody wants to be a gateman in abroad. I think these are the issues that need to be addressed,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Frank Nweje, decried the increasing case of stowaways in the country, saying stowaway is a maritime crime and a strict penalties must
He said stowaway gives the nation a bad image on the global scene when ships berth and they realise that Nigerians have been smuggled through ships.
He added that the menace is a problem that Nigerian Ports Authority and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) must tackle headlong
He opined that the menace is a confirmation of the high rate of unemployment and the desperation of people that want to go for greener pastures.
He added that stowaway cases can only be minimised and not completely eradicated as it evolves everyday and because some people have tried and succeeded, also encourage others to give it a try.
On repatriation of stowaways, he said it is not common in the country but concerted efforts should be made by all relevant agencies concerned as the cost implications of repatriation is very harsh.
“It is more than $10,000 to repatriate one stowaway and it has been laundering our image in the eyes of the international community.”
In the days of old we recommend joint stowaway search for every vessel that calls to our port and to what extent that is being done it needs to be verified because these people are not spirit they are human being,” he said.
