Nigerian Navy arrests three stowaways on MV Maersk Calabar

The Nigerian Navy has arrested three men who attempted to travel illegally to Europe by hiding in the propeller compartment of the merchant vessel MV Maersk Calabar. The suspects, identified as Isaiah Oyetayo, 26-year-old Goddey Samson, and 28-year-old Popoola Felix, were intercepted by the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft near the Lagos Fairway Buoy.

Preliminary investigations indicate the men, who are boat drivers, boarded the vessel at Apapa Port using a canoe before concealing themselves. The suspects reportedly cited hunger and economic hardship as their motivations for seeking to migrate. Following their extraction by a naval Quick Reaction Team, the men were handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further investigation.

Commodore Aiwiyor Adams-Aliu, representing the Commander of NNS Beecroft, emphasized the extreme dangers of such attempts, noting that unauthorized access to seagoing vessels poses life-threatening risks to individuals and significant security threats to maritime crews and operations.