SAN claims 2,300 stowaways as immigration disputes figure

Shipping‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ Association of Nigeria (SAN) has expressed its concern about what it referred to as an increasing number of cases of stowaways in Nigerian ports, alleging that vessels accounted for about 2,300 security breaches related to stowaways in 2025 alone.

On the other hand, the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) came back at them with the figures and said that the numbers are inflated and that they do not match the records they have.

Talking to the press in Lagos, SAN Chairman, Boma Alabi (SAN), said that it was a matter of great concern that in spite of the fact that they pay for government agencies that are supposed to protect vessels at the quay, unauthorized persons still manage to board ships.

Alabi disclosed that there are about 15 foreign shipping lines operating in Nigeria presently, and each one is witnessing two to three stowaway cases on a weekly basis – a situation she called “deeply disturbing.”

She also mentioned that even though shipping firms are charged with penalties for each incident, they are the ones who bear the cost of the stowaways’ return.

“The stowaway is one of the biggest problems that the shipping companies are facing at the moment,” said the shipping association chairman.

“Without blaming the shipping companies for the stowaway cases, their policy of sanctioning them must be reviewed.”

“We have two or three occurrences of stowaways every week, and there are about 15 shipping companies operating in Nigeria,” she explained.

“Each time a stowaway is arrested, the shipping firm is liable to a $2,000 penalty.

“The shipping companies are the ones that pay for these penalties.

“Immigration is the one that collects these penalties, yet we still pay government agencies in dollars for the protection and safety of vessels.”

She emphasized that security officers at the port level need to be more proactive in carrying out their duties and exhorted that issues around maritime security, which have economic implications, should not be taken lightly.

Contrary to the allegations, Ikechukwu Igunna, a Port Security Officer with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), said that the figures being bandied about were far from the truth.

He pointed out that there were only about ten instances of stowaways at the Apapa Port this year.

Accordingly, he sought out journalists to get in touch with the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) in order to get authentic data for the entire world on stowaways.

Similarly, the NIS spokesman, Mr. Akinola Akinlabi, refuted SAN’s estimates and said that “the figures we have are far from that ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌number.”