Over the past year, it has been reported that 97 suspected stowaways have been captured by the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft as they were trying to illegally enter various European countries. Stowaways normally take the opportunity to board the vessel while alongside or in the port, highlighting the need for professional stowaway searches.
On July 26th, three suspects were arrested while onboard MT SCF Alphine and handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS).
The NNS Beecroft Commander, Commodore Bashir Mohammed, made it clear that the ongoing arrests are part of the Nigerian Navy’s efforts to address the country’s illegal activities including human trafficking within the maritime space.
The Stowaway Problem
In recent years the stowaway problem has become more acute as people looking to escape war, discrimination, conflict or look for a better life resort to stowing aboard ships. This creates:
- legal problems for authorities in ports of call,
- financial problems for shipowners and states,
- human problems for crews.
Castor Vali Services
Castor Vali Services Nigeria (CVSN) has successfully provided maritime and offshore security solutions in Nigeria to the highest industry standards since 2014. Our significant experience of maritime and offshore operations has earned us a reputation for quality, flexibility and reliability.
We can provide pre-sailing professional stowaway searches which include K9 sniffer dogs and stowaway search detection.
The Castor Vali Group offers a wide range of services to assist organisations whilst operating in high-risk waters. A select handful of our services are listed below, however, please do visit our website to understand our full range.
- We support all vessel types with Vessel hardening vulnerability assessments
- Provision of security escort vessels
- Crew training tailored to the environment, now available in person or remotely
- Provision of timely and accurate security information direct by email on key incidents and events. This service is provided free of charge. Sign up here.
If you would like more information about any of our services, please contact us at info.nigeria@castorvali.com and info@castorvali.com.