On Monday, June 22, 2026, the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT handed over five suspected stowaways to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) after they were discovered concealed aboard the merchant vessel MT CHINAFRIE HAPPINESS, which was bound for India from the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
Discovery and Rescue of Stowaways
The suspects were found on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, hidden within the rudder compartment of the vessel. According to Sub-Lieutenant AO Ajayi, Naval Assistant to Commander NNS BEECROFT, the stowaways were safely evacuated and taken to NNS BEECROFT for preliminary investigation and profiling.
The statement from the Navy clarified that a stowaway is a person who conceals themselves aboard a vessel with the intention of travelling illegally to another country without authorisation. The handover is part of ongoing collaborative efforts among security agencies to curb illegal migration and enhance maritime safety and security.
Identities of the Suspects
Initial findings identified the suspects as Segun Samuel Boyewa (31), Kingsley Chukwu (43), Joseph Judge (33), Moses Aletor (24), and Abdullahi Danlami (31). Further investigations revealed that the suspects boarded MT CHINAFRIE HAPPINESS while the vessel was berthed alongside Tin Can Island Port with the intention of travelling illegally to India.
Warning from Navy Commander
Commander of NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams Aliu, urged parents, guardians, and community leaders to discourage young people from engaging in such dangerous and unlawful attempts to board seagoing vessels in pursuit of irregular migration. “It has now become important for parents, guardians, and other authority figures within society to discourage youths from attempting to board seagoing vessels illegally,” Aliu said.
He further emphasized that NNS BEECROFT, under his command, will continue to actualise the mission of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas (Admiralty Medal), which is to deploy a highly motivated and professional naval force capable of safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime interests and contributing effectively to joint operations in defence of national sovereignty and the maintenance of internal stability.
