FOUR NIGERIAN STOWAWAYS NABBED IN MALAYSIAN BOUND CARGO VESSEL

Four Nigerians, Ahmed Azeez, 24, Tunde Yagba, 33, Adewale Sunday, 25 and Ajose Kehinde, 33, who had smuggled themselves into a Malaysian-bound cargo vessel without proper documentation, were on Wednesday nabbed in their bid to travel out of the country.

Punch reports that operatives of the Marine Police Command arrested Azeez, Yagba and Kehinde who had boarded a Malaysia bound cargo ship, after Sunday was rushed to hospital following an ulcer he developed due to lack of food inside the ship.

Following a tip-off from the Amphibious Ambush Squad of the Marine Command led by DSP Ben Ogungbure, the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Maritime Police Command, Muhammed Katsina, began to track the movement of the remaining three suspects.

He explained that the suspects were tracked 23 hours after they had departed, adding that upon interrogation, the command discovered they have travelled to various countries illegally but were deported.

He described the arrest as a result of the Basic Marine Operation Course (BMOC) undertaken by 39 policemen at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Quorra.

“Now, we are gradually dominating the maritime environment through our network of intelligence, which is very active. “In this matter, it’s a case of self human trafficking and stowaway of four young Nigerians who conspired with a criminal motive to travel out of the country without proper documentation,” Katsina said.