Afrigather The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Murtala Muhammed Worldwide Airport (MMIA), Lagos Command, on Tuesday, acquired 9 Nigerians who tried to stowaway to Europe by means of The Gambia.
The stowaways who mentioned they remorse their motion, claimed they had been lured into the voyage by a few of their buddies who had been fortunate to make it to Europe by means of the identical path.
That is as Adekola Adesokan, the Comptroller, NIS, MMIA Command, has suggested Nigerians, particularly towards irregular travels to Europe, describing reminiscent of a deathtrap.
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It was gathered that the younger Nigerian adults with the age vary 21 to 30, tried to journey to Europe by means of The Gambia sea, however they had been noticed by the ship captain who instantly alerted the safety businesses of the neighbouring nation.
It was learnt that in a bid to flee arrest, the stowaways jumped into the excessive sea with two of them struggling to swim.
They had been ultimately rescued from drowning and brought to the Nigeria Excessive Fee in The Gambia who instantly processed emergency journey paperwork for them to be repatriated to Nigeria, regardless of their reluctance to return into the nation.
The stowaways had been introduced again to Nigeria by means of the Asky Airways with the registration quantity: through Lome, Togo.
Adesokan, in an interview with aviation journalists, lamented the incessant stowaway incidents amongst Nigerians and admonished them towards it.
In accordance with her, such a visit was a deathtrap ready to occur, regretting that many Nigerians had misplaced their lives by means of such means prior to now.
She defined that the 9 stowaways had been handed over to the MMIA Command by the officers of the Gambian immigration service.
She mentioned: “About 9 Nigerians had been despatched again from The Gambian immigration officers for tried stowaway within the excessive sea and two of them virtually misplaced their lives within the course of as a result of once they had been found, they tried to flee and jumped into the excessive sea. Sadly for them, two of them couldn’t swim.
“The captain of the ship needed to get in contact with the nation that’s throughout the neighbourhood for the rescue mission. The safety officers had been in a position to rapidly rescue them, put them within the boat and took them to a resort the place they got meals.
“However, they had been very resistant and refused to return to Nigeria. In reality, they had been nonetheless demanding cash from the immigration service there earlier than they might return to Nigeria. They had been ultimately taken to the Nigeria Excessive Fee in The Gambia, which persuaded them and issued them emergency journey paperwork for them to have the ability to be introduced again to Nigeria by means of the MMIA.”
She additionally appealed to such irregular vacationers to desist from it and observe the precise channel of travels to any nation of their selection.
“We have to change our mentality. Once they get there illegally, the very first thing is they may start to cover and when they’re caught, they are going to be deported. Even when they aren’t caught, they go there to do odd jobs that they can’t be happy with doing to their family and friends members.
“They need to look earlier than they leap. More often than not, it might be a journey of no return. I’m not saying you may’t journey overseas, however, go there legally, learn your books, apply it in the precise manner, apply to journey and go and showcase Nigeria as a really clever nation within the comity of countries,” she mentioned.
In his assertion, Abdul Yakubu, one of many stowaways, alleged that he was promoting noodles and dried eggs on Lagos island earlier than he was cajoled to embark on the journey.
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He alleged that he misplaced N70,000, which he paid to the person who launched and boarded him on the ship.
Daniel Vincent, one other member of the returnees, mentioned he thought he would have been in Europe after three days of the journey.
Vincent mentioned he was shocked to grasp that he had not left the shore of Africa once they had been detected by the crew members of the ship and handed over to immigration in The Gambia.
“They instructed us we might be in Europe inside 5 or 6 days. We didn’t carry any meals or water with us after we boarded the ship at Tin Can Port in Lagos. It was a really regrettable expertise I’d not encourage even my enemies to embark upon,” he mentioned.
A ship driver, who declined to provide his title, claimed he had as soon as launched into an unsuccessful journey as a stowaway.
He claimed he was satisfied to embark on the journey by a pal who efficiently entered Europe by means of the unlawful technique.
