THE STOWAWAY SECURITY CHALLENGE
Authorities must intensify surveillance and security operations to stem the menace
The recent rescue of four Nigerian stowaways on the Atlantic Ocean after being thrown overboard by the crew of a foreign vessel raises several questions. But the incident should not be interpreted as a failure of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, nor as evidence of lax enforcement. Instead, it underscores the evolving tactics and resourcefulness of criminal elements who continually seek ways to bypass even the most stringent security measures. While terminal operators have implemented robust security protocols—securing access through both primary port entrances and secondary routes—many of these individuals circumvent official checkpoints by infiltrating port zones through adjacent coastal communities.
In most instances, stowaways board vessels under the cover of darkness, exploiting poor visibility and less active surveillance periods. They are also most often not locals but criminals who exploit the geographic proximity of communities around port areas for their desperation. A striking example of the scale of this challenge was when 22 stowaways were found aboard a single vessel. That ugly episode put Nigeria under negative international spotlight. Since then, security personnel—both public agencies and private firms—have consistently demonstrated diligence in protecting port facilities, which are designated as high-security areas. But it is also evident that additional resources and attention must be deployed in securing backwaters and other unregulated coastal access points.
There are precedents that highlight these vulnerabilities. An expatriate was kidnapped via the backwaters approximately two years ago while the explosion at Atlas Cove a few years earlier was linked to individuals who had discreetly taken shelter in a coastal community for over a week prior to the attack on the petroleum storage facility. In December 2022, a group of stowaways who allegedly hijacked a United Kingdom-bound ship were arrested after a 10-hour standoff. According to the UK authorities, the stowaways boarded in the port of Lagos through the vessel’s rudder trunk, an opening near the ship’s hull. The security implication is that those stowaways could easily have planted a bomb on the rudder with devastating consequences.
To mitigate such threats and prevent future incidents, authorities must intensify surveillance and security operations along these under-monitored waterways. This includes enhancing patrol coverage in backwater regions, installing surveillance infrastructure such as cameras and motion sensors in high-risk areas, engaging local communities as partners in reporting suspicious activities and increasing inter-agency collaboration to close security gaps between land and sea borders.
Meanwhile, beyond the issue of security is the causal factors driving such extremely dangerous adventure by many of our young men and women. Left with frustration, and little hope of a better future in the country, many of our young people are being tempted to flee abroad via irregular migration, often facilitated by smugglers and human traffickers, with the attendant consequences. A recent report by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) disclosed that thousands of migrants, dominated by Africans, have perished while undertaking such risky migration to reach Europe by sea.
Such is the new low that the government gleefully flaunts the repatriation of stranded Nigerians from different parts of the world. Evacuations from these countries are frequently hyped and passed on as huge accomplishments. There is hardly any consideration or effort to redress factors responsible for such irregular migrations in the first place.
While there is an urgent need to embark on enlightenment campaigns on the implications of the adventure that nearly claimed the lives of the four stowaways, relevant stakeholders must ensure we do not further imperil the maritime sector already beset by bigger challenges. A comprehensive approach—one that secures not only the immediate port facilities but also their surrounding environments—is critical to staying ahead of those who aim to exploit any vulnerability in the maritime domain.
