By Raine Golegio, Monrovia
Report from Grand Cess, Grand Kru County in south eastern Liberia say fishermen in that part of the country have rescued twelve Nigerians illegally traveling on board a Chinese vessel. The vessel, OPHELIA PANAMA, is said to be heading for Japan.
According to Gtv Liberia, the rescued men who admitted of being stowaways, said the vessel departed Nigeria’s Delta Port on September 7, 2022.
It is said they were fourteen that embarked on the journey from Nigeria on the vessel, but due to maltreatment by the vessel captain and crewmen, two of their colleagues died while escaping.
Emmanuel Beal, spokesman for the rescued Nigerians in an interview with Fisheries Journal newspaper said, they were traveling to Japan to seek job opportunities due to the economic hardship they face in their country.
According to him, they were later dumped on the sea, but through the help of the Liberian fishermen, they got rescued.
The rescued Nigerians have been handed over to the Grand Kru detachment of the Liberian Immigration Service for further investigation.
Spokesman Beal however expressed thanks and appreciation to the Liberian fishermen and the Liberian Immigration Services for their kindness to humanity.
Those rescued include Mike Wilson, Emmanuel Beal, Precious Uwalogho, Temeta Adebiyi, Adewale Igiebo Stephen and Soumo Yoel.
AFRICA PRIME NEWS listed out several international Laws guiding the handling of stowaways.
The Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic, 1965, as amended, (the FAL Convention), sets out measures to prevent stowaway incidents as well as provisions on the treatment of stowaways while on board and on the disembarkation and return of a stowaway.
The FAL Convention defines a stowaway as “A person who is secreted on a ship, or in cargo which is subsequently loaded on the ship, without the consent of the shipowner or the Master or any other responsible person and who is detected on board the ship after it has departed from a port, or in the cargo while unloading it in the port of arrival, and is reported as a stowaway by the master to the appropriate authorities”.
Unnoticed by the Master, the crew, port and customs authorities, stowaways may gain access to the ship with or without the assistance of port personnel. Once on board the ship stowaways hide in empty containers, cargo holds, tanks, tunnels, behind false panels, stores, accommodation area, engine rooms, void spaces, cranes, chain lockers, etc.
The presence of stowaways on board ships may bring serious consequences. The life of stowaways could be endangered as they may spend several days hidden, with the risk of suffocation and without any water or provisions. For ships and, by extension, to the shipping industry as a whole; the ship could be delayed in port; the repatriation of stowaways can be a very complex and costly procedure involving masters, shipowners, port authorities and agents.