Maritime Security and Safety
Stakeholders Cry Out as Stowaways Adopt New Tactics, Navy Nabs Eight in Four Months
Stakeholders Cry Out as Stowaways Adopt New Tactics, Navy Nabs Eight in Four Months
Industry operators warn of rising financial and reputational costs as experts call for external vessel checks, SPOMO Act review
By Ighoyota Onaibre | Waterways News Reporter, Lagos
Maritime stakeholders have sounded a fresh alarm over the growing sophistication of stowaway operations in Nigerian waters, as the Nigerian Navy confirmed the interception of at least eight stowaways in separate operations between January and April 2026 — a trend that is drawing concern from shipping companies, legal experts, and port security authorities alike.
The arrests, disclosed through a series of naval press statements and media briefings, point to an escalating security challenge at Lagos anchorage and along Nigeria’s coastal corridors — one that operators say is increasingly difficult to contain using conventional onboard security protocols.
Eight Arrests, Three Incidents
Naval authorities — particularly the Commander of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu — confirmed three distinct interceptions in the period under review.
In March 2026, naval operatives on routine patrol intercepted two stowaways concealed aboard a vessel off the Lagos coast. The suspects were handed over to relevant authorities for investigation.
In early April, three Ghanaian nationals were arrested after illegally boarding a Europe-bound vessel in Lagos — an incident that naval authorities said underscored the continued use of Nigerian ports as departure points for irregular migration to Europe.
Days later, in mid-April, three more stowaways were apprehended aboard the merchant vessel MSC Stella near the Lagos Fairway Buoy, again while attempting to travel unlawfully to Europe before being detected during security checks.
Commodore Adams-Aliu, addressing journalists at one of the briefings, reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to securing Nigeria’s territorial waters and warned that stowaway attempts pose grave safety risks and constitute violations of international maritime regulations. Naval sources indicate the total number of interceptions in 2026 may exceed the eight independently verified cases.
Shipping Companies Bear the Brunt
The Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN) Chairman, Mrs Boma Alabi, has raised concerns over the mounting operational and financial toll on shipping companies. Speaking at a recent stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos, Alabi noted that shipping agents continue to grapple with stowaways boarding vessels undetected, causing delays in vessel departures as investigations and disembarkation procedures are carried out.
She highlighted the compounding financial liabilities involved — including fines, diversion costs, additional crew management responsibilities, and reputational damage to Nigeria as a port of origin — and called for stronger, better-coordinated port security measures, improved inter-agency collaboration, and a clear responsibility framework that shields shipping companies from bearing liability for what are fundamentally security failures.
“Shipping companies are often held responsible for situations that are largely security-related and beyond their operational control,” Alabi stated.
The Rudder Problem: A Shift in Stowaway Tactics
Perhaps the most telling insight into the shifting nature of the stowaway threat came from a former President of the Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNOWTSSA), Engr. Matthew Alalade, who told Waterways News that the days of stowaways hiding inside vessels are largely over — and that the industry has not fully adapted to what has replaced it.
“You hardly find stowaways inside the vessel anymore because onboard security is tight. What we are seeing now is people coming through small boats and hanging on the rudder,” Alalade explained.
He advised that shipping companies and agents must now adopt proactive external inspection measures — including deploying speedboats to check vessel undersides before departure, particularly when ships are riding high on light loads, which makes rudder compartments more accessible.
Alalade also sought to clarify the legal framework governing stowaways discovered at sea, stressing that international maritime practice strictly prohibits any harm to stowaways.
“There is no right to throw anyone overboard. The standard procedure is to report to the next port and hand the person over to authorities,” he said.
He also raised concerns about the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act, suggesting that portions of the legislation may no longer be fit for purpose in addressing current stowaway tactics and calling for a legislative review to reflect present-day realities.
Legal Framework: No Room for Extrajudicial Action
Maritime lawyer and immediate past Chairman of the Institute of Chartered Ship Brokers (ICS), Dr Chris Ebare, reinforced the legal position on stowaway handling, emphasising that throwing stowaways overboard is a serious criminal offence under both Nigerian law and international maritime conventions.
“To the best of my knowledge, there is no law that permits a captain to throw a stowaway into the sea. Such actions would amount to a serious offence,” Ebare stated. “It is not a case of jungle justice. Maritime laws and international conventions are clear on how such situations should be handled.”
Ebare maintained that the SPOMO Act provides clear penalties for maritime offences, and that all stowaways must be handed over to the relevant authorities for lawful prosecution — not subjected to extrajudicial treatment. He added that while enforcement of maritime laws in Nigeria is ongoing, greater consistency and wider awareness remain essential to deter violations.
Nigeria Watch
The eight stowaway arrests recorded in Nigeria’s waters in just four months of 2026 are more than a security statistic — they represent a serious governance gap at the port-vessel interface that risks eroding Nigeria’s standing as a reliable maritime hub.
The emerging shift to rudder-compartment concealment signals that conventional onboard security measures, however tight, are no longer sufficient. Port security agencies — including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), NIMASA, and naval patrols — must now contend with threats that originate outside the vessel perimeter, in open water, before boarding ever occurs. This calls for a rethinking of pre-departure inspection protocols and a wider deployment of patrol assets at anchorage points and fairway approaches.
For NIMASA, which bears statutory responsibility for maritime safety and security under its enabling legislation, the rising stowaway trend also raises questions about the adequacy of Port State Control and vessel clearance procedures. The agency’s collaboration with NNS Beecroft and other naval formations will need to intensify if Nigeria is to close the loopholes currently being exploited.
The SAN’s call for a clear liability framework deserves urgent regulatory attention. Shipping lines — many of whom are foreign-flagged operators whose continued calls at Lagos are commercially discretionary — should not be penalised for systemic port security failures. A fairer responsibility matrix, backed by stronger agency coordination, is the foundation on which Nigeria’s port competitiveness ultimately rests.