Operatives from the Nigerian Navy Ship Beecroft have apprehended eight suspected stowaways attempting to board two speedboats.
According to The PUNCH, the patrol team of NNS Beecroft spotted the suspects during a patrol on July 13, 2024.
Director of Naval Information, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, in a statement released on Tuesday, disclosed that five out of the eight suspects confessed their intention to travel abroad.
“On July 13, 2024, NNS Beecroft arrested eight suspected stowaways who were attempting to board MV Northernlight via two speedboats along the Lagos Channel,” Adams-Aliu said. “The patrol team observed the suspects trying to board the vessel through its rudder compartment. The suspects and the speedboats have been transferred to the Nigerian Immigration Service, Lagos State Port and Marine Command for further investigation.”
Adams-Aliu further stated that upon interrogation, five of the suspects admitted their motive to board the vessel in hopes of traveling abroad.
He also highlighted that Nigerian Navy units conducted successful rescue operations during the past week, from July 9 to July 13, 2024. This included the rescue of eight female victims of human trafficking and two fishermen who were drowning.
“In a separate incident on July 9, 2024, the Quick Response Team of Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base Badagry intercepted a wooden passenger boat carrying eight females aged between 18-23 years, en route to the Benin Republic,” Adams-Aliu added. “Upon interrogation, it was evident that these young women were victims of human trafficking, being transported by an as-yet-unidentified agent. The rescued victims have been handed over to the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), while investigations continue to identify the agent and trafficking syndicate involved.”
