Four Nigerians survived 14 days in a ship’s rudder to Brazil, which has been explained by welfare volunteers as a dangerous way to travel.
This was disclosed in a report by Reuters on Tuesday afternoon after an interview with the stowaways by a volunteer agency, the report revealed that the stowaway’s journey across some 5,600 kilometres (3,500 miles) of ocean underlines from June 27, when they have rowed him up to the stern of the Liberian-flagged Ken Wave, docked in Lagos.
Journey
38-year-old Thankgod Opemipo Matthew Yeye revealed in the interview that his journey to Brazil began on June 27, when a fisherman friend rowed him up to the stern of the Liberian-flagged Ken Wave, docked in Lagos, and left him by the rudder, the report added:
- “He found three men already there, waiting for the ship to depart.
- “He had never met his new shipmates and feared they could toss him into the sea at any moment.
- “Once the ship was moving, Friday said the four men made every effort not to be discovered by the ship’s crew, who they also worried might offer them a watery grave.
- “Maybe if they catch you, they will throw you in the water,” he said, adding: “So we taught ourselves never to make noise.”
To prevent themselves from falling into the water, the men said they rigged up a net around the rudder and tied themselves to it with a rope, adding that they could see “big fish like whales and sharks” when they looked down.
Father Paolo Parise, a priest at the Sao Paulo shelter, said he never heard a stowaway story so dangerous, citing that this is one of the few extreme case people will go to in search of a new start.
Survival
Yeye also described it as a terrible experience, the report said:
- “On their tenth day at sea, the four Nigerian stowaways crossing the Atlantic in a tiny space above the rudder of a cargo ship ran out of food and drink.
- “They survived another four days, according to their account, by drinking the sea water crashing just metres below them, before being rescued by Brazilian federal police in the southeastern port of Vitoria.
- “It was a terrible experience for me,” Thank god Opemipo Matthew Yeye, said, in an interview at a Sao Paulo church shelter.
- “On board, it is not easy. I was shaking, so scared. But I’m here.”
Relief
The report said the stowaways were relieved at being rescued, adding that they boarded the ship hoping to reach Europe and were shocked to learn they had landed on the other side of the Atlantic, in Brazil.
The report added that 2 of the men have since been returned to Nigeria upon their request, adding that Yeye and Roman Ebimene Friday, a 35-year-old applied for asylum in Brazil.
Roman Friday said he prays the government of Brazil will pity him/
Reasons for escape
Roman Friday claims he had already attempted to flee Nigeria by ship before but was arrested by authorities, Mathew Yeye also noted that they left due to economic hardship, political instability, and crime.
Yeye also claims that his peanut and palm oil farm was destroyed by floods this year, leaving him and his family homeless.
Congratulations 🎉 to those who remained there.
This is excitingly amazing I am writing a movie out of this. 😃
This is a dangerous journey that could never be encouraged by anybody . It is the mercy of God that kept them up to that level. Our Government should do the needful to make our country livable.
That’s wishful thinking. Nigeria will never be liveable for anyone and it’s because of the high levels of corruption there. If i were an 18-year-old Nigerian, i would be planning to make my way to South America rather than Europe, which has slammed its door shut on asylum seekers. As i write, hundreds of thousands of people from West African countries, such as Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Senegal, Liberia, Guinea, Congo and Central African Republic, Somalia and Eritrea and those from Asia, such as Pakistanis, Nepalese, Afghans and Indians and those from the Middle East, such as Iranians, Iraqis, Syrians, Lebanese, Kuwaitis and Jordanians and Palestinians and of course Central Americans are in the Colombian rainforest trying to cross the almost impenetrable DARIEN GAP that separates Colombia from Panama and travel onto Mexico and into the USA. Google the DARIEN GAP and you will see what is taking place there, It’s on you tube. NO WAY SHOULD A YOUNG PERSON STAY IN NIGERIA AND BE SUBJECT TO A LIFE OF MISERY!
Sorry, Correction, Somalia and Eritrea are in East Africa.
The two who returned to Nigeria probably didn’t know that once in Brazil, there is a better chance to get to the USA legally than if you stay in Nigeria. They couldn’t have known that hundreds of miles from where they landed in Brazil that People from all over the world were making their way through the Colombian rainforest to get to Panama and then to the the Mexican-USA border. It’s just folly to take the risk of getting to Brazil and then return to Nigeria.
My friend, please keep quiet.
What exactly do you hope to achieve writing this nonsense about Nigeria? Are countries with no challenge? If Brazil and other South American countries are better, why are they struggling as well?
You need to travel to the South American corridor of Brazil, Suriname, French Guiana and Brazil to see the thousands of Nigerians living there peacefully and very happy. That corridor minus Brazil has a tiny population and needs people to develop it. I want Nigerians to populate that corridor because they are an enterprising, industrious and very brilliant people, but at the same time i must strongly condemn the incorrigible corruption plaguing Nigeria. My maths and science teachers were Nigerians and i attended university in Europe with many Nigerians and almost all of them speak about the corruption in that beautiful oil-rich country. I like the values- focus espoused by Nigerians: Education, religion, family and culture. The truth is never popular. One of my Nigerian friends was lamenting about that eyesore, Makoko. Only South Africa on the African continent has better infrastructure than Nigeria, but i have noticed that whenever criticisms are made of Nigeria, some Nigerians react predictably, to attack the messenger, There are issues with Nigeria and there are issues with every black-majority country on earth, but Nigeria is different, it has one of the largest deposits of oil and gas on this planet and among the most brilliant people on earth. One in every three black persons inhabiting this planet is a Nigerian, hence Nigeria has an immense responsible to the human race.
I wish I can get there soon, am craving to travel out of this country
My man am really feeling you! You are highly educated and wise and even high intensity of understanding, I really commend you for that 🙌🙌
The greatest problem in Nigeria remains Leadership and corruption, period. It’s a cancer, we can not shy away from the truth. That’s the bitter fact.
Thank you, ur very correct, and honest opinions
Your tone was unfriendly. I don’t think this writer intended to paint Nigeria black. He was only saying the obvious. Let’s let love lead in our lives daily.
Thank you. It’s absolute folly to expect more from these countries when you’re at an added disadvantage of being a third class citizen. Evil is every where.
He is saying the absolute truth. Let his message get to those cankerworms depriving us of good living. If you’re not one of them, then keep shut. Thanks
I don’t think they returned voluntarily. They must have been deported after being interviewed. But the media can’t report that as it would put the Brazilian government in a bad light. Who will suffer all that to leave Nigeria, succeed in surviving it, be rescued and then decide to go back to Nigeria? I don’t think so.
By Karol Suarez and Tara John, CNN
“(CNN) — The number of migrants crossing the treacherous Darien Gap, a mountainous rainforest region that connects South and Central America, has broken a new record, according to immigration officials in Panama.
The Panama migration authority’s deputy director Maria Isabel Saravia told media that 2022’s already-high number of crossings was surpassed on Monday.
Last year was an “unprecedented year” where a total of 248,284 people crossed the Darién National Park, she said. 2023 now looks set to outstrip that number as the year continues.
“With today and yesterday’s crossings of 1,869 people, there have been 248,901 crossings,” Saravia said Monday”
God will keep them alive and their dreams will come to past. They tried
Incidents like this do not count as anything to leaders of Nigeria as they remain engrossed with the same currupt activities that brought the country’s economy to the brink of collapse.
I use to be a stowaway, I stowaway to Brazil two time Santos and Reginero, I also stowaway to South Africa and Senegal. It’s a very dangerous journey but thank God for life. I will never advice anyone to take that risk because its very risky. God help all 🙏
With the large number of people of different nationalities attempting very dangerous journeys just to get to the US, it shows that the economy in all these countries are that bad. Nigeria is not as bad when you see people from Nepal and Pakistan and India. In any case, returning back home after God saved them from the jaws of death is not bad oh.
They think America is bed of roses till they land and.sleep in the street in of America .They is no utopian society
What the hell is there in America that one will take such a risk?
Pls ask them. It’s pure foolishness and delusions of the mind to expect anything, with all the missing person’s going on there (allegedly harvested for organs).
I will even prefer to be eaten by sharks at the Atlantic ocean than return to this country Nigeria
You reach Brazil and come back to Nigeria there guys are really funny after the risk, they are not serious at all.
Village people is after them
The fear of unknown what can happen to them in Brazil made them returned back to Nigeria.
And secondly, maybe they don’t determined going by themselves but the ones that was determined that no matter what will be they were leaving are the ones that stayed back in Brazil
May The Almighty Show all of us way whether here or outside there.
This Japa syndrome eeehhh?
These guys are lazy. Nigeria still remain one of the best place to live and make money. I am a business young man and 3 different best countries visas but have never thought of living outside Nigeria. People shouldn’t try this route at all.
You left 9ja and landed in a Country similar to Nigeria bad government, drug dealers and so on , God be with you at people
Village people are really following the two that returned back to Nigeria after taking such a high risk.
There is no need to return to Nigeria once you have reached Brazil, because Brazil is in South America and you easily find your way to US.
That’s very true. It’s a gateway to the USA and the Brazilian passport is very powerful.
If I know Road, I for don stowaway too. Trust me.
The Nigerian politicians are too greedy and will read this article and not care a damn.
Their conscience have been taken over by Satan .
The white man has love for their citizens and will not accept this rubbish.
This is why Nigerians will never be bordered if a military coup takes place in Nigeria as it happened recently in Niger republic.
As I was reading this story my heart was was filled with sorrow for these young men who have lost hope in the so-called country called Nigeria.
Nigeria is too large as a country and it is time to have more republics that can easily manage their people and resources very well.
The bad leadership will continue to be a recuring decimal in as far as wicked selfish leaders who do not care about Nigerians are imposed on Nigerians.
It’s different strokes for different folks in this life