- Three stowaways found sitting on the helm of a ship after it ended an 11-day journey from Nigeria
- They were taken to the hospital at the tank’s destination in Gran Canaria and treated for moderate dehydration
- The number of migrants crossing by boat from West Africa to the Spanish-held Canary Islands has increased significantly in recent years.
Lagos – The Spanish Coast Guard has rescued three Nigerian men who stowed away on a ship that arrived in the Canary Islands from Lagos, balancing on the helm just above the waterline.
In a photo shared on Twitter by the coastguard on Monday, November 28, the three stowaways are shown perched on the helm of the oil and chemical tanker Alithini II.
Source: Facebook
The ship arrived in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, after an 11-day voyage from Lagos in Nigeria, according to Marine Traffic, a ship-tracking website.
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The men were taken to port and treated by health services for dehydration and hypothermia, the coast guard said on Twitter.
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Txema Santana, journalist and migration adviser to the Canary Islands government, tweeted:
“It’s not the first and it won’t be the last. Stowaways don’t always have the same luck.”
Spanish data show sea migration to the archipelago increased by 51% in the first five months of the year compared to a year earlier.
Thousands of people die each year on the journey, which is increasingly dangerous due to the use of flimsy wooden or inflatable boats.
Buhari says Nigerians have no reason to complain of hunger
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has said Nigerians have no reason to complain of hunger when the country is blessed with vast land for agriculture.
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Buhari made the comment during a taped interview with Tambari Hausa TV which aired on Wednesday night, November 2nd.
Responding to a question about the high rate of hunger in the country, the president said that anyone who is very hungry will take his tools and go to the farm.
Foreign creditors may seize Nigeria’s presidential jets because of accumulated debts
In another development, there are indications that aircraft in the presidential air fleet could be seized by some foreign creditors.
Due to inadequate funding, it was found that some installations on the aircraft were again postponed to 2023.
President Buhari has since 2016 allocated N81.80 billion for aircraft maintenance and foreign travel.
Source: Legit.ng