The Nigerian Navy (NN) at the weekend said it arrested five suspected stowaways hiding inside a Europe bound vessel, MT JANE.
The arrest of these five came barely three weeks after four suspects were also apprehended onboard another Europe bound vessel in Lagos.
According to a statement by the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, the latest suspects were arrested around 12:30am at the Lagos Anchorage while operatives were on routine harbour patrol.
The suspects were said to have accessed the vessel through its rudder compartment and hoped to hide inside until they arrived Europe.
Commander NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Bashir Mohammed, in the statement, said preliminary findings during interrogation revealed that the suspects came from different parts of the country to Lagos state with the intention of travelling to Europe.
“During interrogation, the suspects confessed that they had the intention of leaving the country for Europe in search of greener pastures before they were apprehended by the Nigerian Navy.
“The suspects have been handed over to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) for further investigation and prosecution,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to follow legitimate process of immigration to avoid endangering their lives.