By John Ikani
In an astonishing tale of courage and determination, four Nigerian stowaways defied the odds, enduring a harrowing two-week journey hidden above the rudder of a cargo ship traversing 3,500 miles of treacherous ocean from Nigeria to Brazil.
Their journey began as they believed the vessel was destined for Europe, but they were in for a surprise.
As the days passed, food and drink ran out, leaving them to quench their thirst by ingesting sea water splashing just meters beneath them.
The cramped space and incessant noise of the engine made sleep a rare and risky luxury during the perilous voyage.
Yet, they remained resilient and kept their spirits high, even spotting majestic creatures like whales and sharks in the vast expanse of the ocean.
To prevent themselves from slipping into the water below, the migrants ingeniously rigged a net around the rudder and securely tied themselves to it with a rope.
For Roman Ebimeme Friday, one of the courageous migrants, his odyssey began on June 27th when a fisherman friend dropped him off near the rudder of the Liberian-flagged Ken Wave, docked in Lagos.
Surprisingly, he found three other men already there, awaiting the ship’s departure.
Fearful of the ship’s crew, who might throw them overboard if discovered, they vowed to remain silent throughout the journey.
The challenging voyage tested their resolve, as 38-year-old Thankgod Opemipo Matthew Yeye recalled: “It was a terrible experience for me.
On board, it is not easy. I was shaking, so scared. But I’m here.”
In a fortunate turn of events, they were rescued by the police upon reaching the port of Vitoria in southeastern Brazil.
Now safe in a Sao Paulo church shelter, Mr. Yeye and Mr. Friday have applied for asylum in Brazil, while the other two men chose to return to Nigeria.
Their arduous journey underscores the hardships and risks that many migrants face in their pursuit of a better life.
Economic hardships, political instability, and crime left them with no choice but to leave their homeland behind.
For Mr. Yeye, a Pentecostal minister, his peanut and palm oil farm was devastated by floods, leaving his family homeless.
He hopes his family will make it to Brazil to begin a “fresh start to life” with him.
Father Paolo Parise, a priest at a Sao Paulo shelter, attested that he had come across other stowaway cases but none as perilous as this one.
“People do unimaginable and deeply dangerous things,” he said astonishingly.
