Three boat drivers stopped from stowing away using a merchant vessel have said that it was the desire for a better life that made them to embark on the risky and illegal journey.
“The problem is too much in Nigeria. I just wanted to survive, save money, pay school fees and help my family. I am not comfortable with what I am doing. I wanted to go there, get a good job and support my family”, one of them, 28 year old Popoola Felix, who is married with four children confessed.
“I was driving boats from Lagos to Cotonou, carrying people from Lagos to Cotonou. But later, after the fare price increased due to increase of petrol, the work started dropping” said the second suspect, Isaiah Oyetayo, 30.
“Unfortunately, the engine of the boat I was driving developed a fault.
“I asked my boss to buy another engine, but he said there was no money to buy one. That was why I left the company.
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“Later, I decided to move on with my life and made up to board the ship to Germany.
“The ship had already been moving for about six hours. It was already near the deep waters, when all of a sudden it turned.
“Maybe somebody passed the information to them that there were some people inside the vessel. “Before we knew what was happening, they had already called the Navy to come and rescue us,” he said
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