3 Nigerians survive 11-day ocean voyage from Lagos to Spain sitting on rudder blade

With a fickle economic climate, unstable educational calendar and the unemployment rate on the ascendency, traveling out of Nigeria just seems to be the only way out for young Nigerians.

But for three Nigerians, who perched in anguish atop the rudder of an oil tanker in perilous condition on the Malta flagged Alithini 11 which left Lagos to Spain with over 3000 miles apart, any way is a way.

The stowaways survived an 11 days ocean voyage sitting on a rudder blade of the oil and chemical tanker Alithini 11, which departed Lagos on 17 November and arrived Las Palmas, Gran Canaria – one of Spain’s canary islands on Monday 28 November.

The Spanish Government’s delegation in the canary islands confirmed that the three stowaways on arrival, appeared to have symptoms of dehydration and hypothermia, and were immediately transferred to a medical facility on the island for adequate medical attention.

According to data from UNHCR, nearly 30,000 migrant have arrived in Spain in 2022, more than 14,000 of those have landed on the shores of the canary island and 1,153 people have died or went missing along the Mediterranean canary route last year.

“In general, we have been seeing migrants and refugees continue to resort to perilous sea and land journeys, reflective of the desperation and vulnerabilities they may face as well as the lack of sufficient, alternative, safer pathways,” UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo said.

“These include stowing away in vessels or airless containers, and taking to sea in leaky boats among others.”