Stowage passengers rescued after 13 days at the helm

Four stowaways were discovered alive in the rudder trunk of a Liberian-flagged vessel that had traveled 5,000 nautical miles from Nigeria to Brazil. The Brazilian Federal Police found them in Vitória, the capital of Epirito Santo, after the ship arrived. The name of the ship has not been disclosed, but it departed Lagos, Nigeria on June 27, making a thirteen-day journey.

Upon investigation, the stowaways, claiming Nigerian citizenship, were unable to provide any documentation to verify their origin and identity. Having suffered from poor health, the men were taken ashore for medical treatment. They are currently under the care and responsibility of the Maritime Agency until they can be repatriated to Nigeria.

Stowaways hiding in the rudder locker, a concealed space above the ship’s rudder, accessible only from the outside, is a well-known and often fatal issue in the shipping industry. In November, three stowaways were rescued in Spain after an 11-day voyage aboard a Nigerian fuel tanker headed for the Canary Islands. The severity of this recurring problem was highlighted in a previous incident in 2019, which led the Swedish club to file a lawsuit, emphasizing the need to urgently address this issue.

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Overall, the discovery of stowaways in the rudder trunk of a ship originating from Nigeria to Brazil emphasizes the ongoing problem of stowaways and smuggling in the shipping industry. It highlights the risks faced by both the stowaways themselves and the crews of these vessels. Immediate action needs to be taken to address this issue and prevent further incidents.

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