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Nigerian stowaways rescued in Brazil after crossing Atlantic on ship rudder
Throughout their journey, the four men had to hide from the ship’s crew and protect themselves from the perils of the sea
August 2, 2023 8:53am
Updated: August 2, 2023 8:54am
Four Nigerian migrants were rescued in Brazil after they survived 14 days in the ocean hiding above the rudder of a cargo ship.
“It was a terrible experience for me. It was the first time. I (had) never tried that before. But because I had already made up my mind to leave, I just summoned the courage. But then it’s not easy. The sea, the ship, it was shaking. I was so scared,” said Thankgod Opemipo Matthew Yeye, one of the migrants.
Roman Ebimene Friday explained that his journey began on June 27 in Lagos, when a fisherman took him to the rudder of the Liberian-flagged Ken Wave. There were already three men, whom he had never met, waiting in a tiny cargo space above the rudder.
Report: How four Nigerian migrants survived 14-day voyage to Brazil on a ship’s rudder | TheCable https://t.co/gygXV4QY4e pic.twitter.com/Xd52DyKwx0
— TheCable (@thecableng) August 2, 2023
Throughout their journey, the four men had to hide from the ship’s crew and protect themselves from the perils of the sea. To make sure that they didn’t fall into the water, the men tied a net around the rudder and tied themselves to it with a rope.
On their tenth day, however, the migrants ran out of food and water. They said that they survived another four days by drinking the seawater that crashed below them.
The migrants believed that they were heading for Europe, but were surprised to find out they ended up in Brazil, taking them 3,500 miles (5,600 kilometers) away from home. They were rescued by the Brazilian federal police in the southeastern port of Vitoria.
The men said they left their home country due to political instability, economic hardship, and widespread crime and violence.
After being found, two of the men requested to be returned to Nigeria, while two others, including Yeye and Friday, applied for asylum in Brazil.
“I pray for the government of Brazil and Casa do Imigrante to have pity on me, to have mercy on me, to maybe look for a better job for me to work," said Friday.
