Four Nigerian stowaways were rescued on the Atlantic Ocean after being thrown overboard by the crew of a foreign vessel.
The rescued individuals, James John, Favour Efe, Kingsley Williams, and Kingsley Mathew, have since been handed over to the Nigerian Navy at the Navy Base Atlas Cove, Takwa Bay, for further care and debriefing.
The young men, seeking to escape Nigeria’s economic challenges, had boarded the ship in secret with hopes of reaching foreign shores.
The crew of the vessel, upon discovering the stowaways, allegedly responded with violence, casting the men into the Atlantic Ocean
They were clinging to debris, weak and barely able to call for help. We acted quickly. Another few minutes, and they might not have made it.”
As investigations into the incident continue, the spotlight remains firmly on both the plight of Nigeria’s youth and the urgent need for comprehensive migration and economic reform.”
They were clinging to debris, weak and barely able to call for help. We acted quickly. Another few minutes, and they might not have made it.”
The public relations officer of the firm, Olawale Ezekiel, made this known in a statement to journalists on Thursday, May 22, 2025.
The situation could have ended in tragedy were it not for the swift intervention of a maritime logistics company owned by a France-based Ekiti-born business mogul, Mr Harrison Niyi Alonge.
This incident underscores a growing migration crisis in Nigeria, where economic instability, unemployment, and insecurity have driven many young people to attempt perilous journeys in search of a better life. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), hundreds of Nigerians undertake risky maritime routes annually, often resorting to illegal and life-threatening methods.