…As MMIA Comptroller Warns Nigerians Not To Embark On Irregular Migration
…Says It Is Death Trap Waiting To Happen
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos Command, today; Tuesday, received nine Nigerians who attempted to stowaway to Europe through The Gambia.
This is just as the Comptroller, NIS, MMIA Command, Mrs. Adesola Adesokan advised Nigerians against embarking on irregular migration to Europe and that it is a deathtrap.
Ontimenews learnt that Nigerian stowaways between the ages of 21 to 30, attempted to travel to Europe through The Gambia Sea, but that they were spotted by the ship captain who immediately alerted the security agencies of the neighbouring country.
It was further gathered that an attempt to arrest the stowaways proved as they were said to have jumped into the high sea with two of them struggling to swim.
The online platform learnt that they were eventually rescued from drowning and taken to the Nigeria High Commission in Gambia ,where emergency travel documents were immediately processed for them for onward repatriation to their country of origin Nigeria, despite their reluctance to return into the country.
The stowaways were brought back to Nigeria on board Asky Airlines via Lome, Togo.
Speaking on the development in an interview, the NIS Comptroller, MMIA, Command Mrs. Adesola Adesokan decried the frequent stowaway incidents among Nigerians, warning them to stop embarking on irregular migration, as according to her it is a death trap waiting to happen and that many Nigerians had lost their lives through such means in the past.
She explained that the nine stowaways were handed over to the MMIA Command by the officials of the Gambian Immigration Service.
According to her, “About nine Nigerians were sent back from The Gambian immigration officers for attempted stowaway in the high sea and two of them almost lost their lives in the process because when they were discovered, they attempted to escape and jumped into the high sea. Unfortunately for them, two of them could not swim. The captain of the ship had to get in touch with the country that is within the neighbourhood for the rescue mission. The security officers were able to quickly rescue them, put them in the boat and took them to a hotel where they were given food,” she said.
She continued, “But, they were very resistant and refused to return to Nigeria. In fact, they were still demanding money from the immigration service there before they could return to Nigeria. They were eventually taken to the Nigeria High Commission in The Gambia, which persuaded them and issued them emergency travel documents for them to be able to be brought back to Nigeria through the MMIA.”
She advised Nigerians to desist from such irregular migration, urging them to follow the right channel of migrating to any country of their choice.
In her words, “We need to change our mentality. When they get there illegally, the first thing is they will begin to hide and when they are caught, they will be deported. Even when they are not caught, they go there to do odd jobs that they cannot be proud of doing to their friends and family members. They should look before they leap. Most of the time, it may be a journey of no return. I am not saying you can’t travel abroad, but, go there legally, read your books, apply it in the right way, apply to travel and go and showcase Nigeria as a very intelligent nation in the comity of nations,” she said.
One of the stowaways, Abdul Yakubu, claimed that he was selling noodles and fried eggs at Lagos Island before he was cajoled to embark on the trip.
He also claimed that he lost N70,000, which he paid to the man who introduced and boarded him on the ship.
Daniel Vincent, one of the stowaways, on his part said he thought that by now he would be in Europe after three days of the trip, but that he was shocked to his bone marrow to realise that he had not left the shore of Africa when they were detected by the crew members of the ship and handed over to immigration in Gambia.
According to him, “They told us we would be in Europe within five or six days. We didn’t carry any food or water with us when we boarded the ship at Tin Can Port in Lagos. It was a very regrettable experience I would not encourage even my enemies to embark upon.”
The stowaways who regretted their actions, claimed they were lured into the irregular migration by some of their friends, who were lucky to make it to Europe through the same way.
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