The Nigerian Navy has intercepted and rescued three suspected stowaways aboard the merchant vessel MSC STELLA off the Lagos Fairway Buoy, in a swift operation underscoring its tightening grip on maritime security. According to Abiodun Folorunsho, the Director of Naval Information, the rescue was carried out by personnel of NNS BEECROFT following credible intelligence from the Western Regional Control Centre.
A Quick Response Team deployed from Tarkwa Bay intercepted the suspects roughly five nautical miles off the Lagos coastline on Sunday evening. Preliminary findings revealed that the trio had illegally boarded the vessel in the early hours of 17 April while it was berthed at Tin Can Island Port, with plans to stow away to Europe.
The suspects were identified as Aguru Michael, a 27-year-old from Benin Republic, alongside Soye Monday from Ondo State and Kentobou Peter from Delta, aged 25 and 22 respectively. The Navy said the operation highlights its sustained efforts to safeguard lives at sea and clamp down on irregular migration within Nigeria’s waters.
It also pointed to recent successes, including the rescue of victims of a maritime collision in Bayelsa and the interception of foreign stowaways aboard the MT ANATOLIA earlier this year. The three suspects are now in custody at NNS BEECROFT, where they are undergoing investigation and administrative processing in line with the law, as the Navy reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining constant surveillance and ensuring safety across Nigeria’s maritime domain.