The Navy intercepted three Ghanaian stowaways in Lagos

The Nigerian Navy on Wednesday handed over three suspected Ghanaian stowaways rescued from the merchant ship, MT ANATOLIA, to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).

Commander of the Nigerian Naval Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, told a forum in Lagos that the handover was part of ongoing collaborative efforts between security agencies to curb illegal migration and enhance maritime safety and security.

He said the NIS would transfer the suspects to the Ghana Embassy after proper judicial procedures.

“The suspects were discovered on Saturday, hidden inside the steering compartment of the ship, while the ship was anchored at Dangote Terminal, Lagos.

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“They were safely evacuated from the compartment and taken to NNS BEECROFT for initial investigation and profiling.

“Preliminary findings identify the suspects as Armah Peter, 26; Amisah Daniel, 22, and Amoh Michael, 25, all male Ghanaian nationals.

“Investigations revealed that the suspects previously traveled from Ghana to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, where they reportedly lived and carried out fishing activities for about a year.

“Further investigation revealed that, with the help of the canoe, they gained access to the steering compartment of the MT ANATOLIA with the aim of making an illegal voyage to Europe.

“After several hours at sea, believing they had arrived at their destination, they alerted the crew, resulting in their detection and subsequent rescue,” the commander said.