At least two Nigerians have been reportedly killed and thrown into the ocean while onboard a Chinese Cargo ship identified as MV Ophelia Panama.
Also, 12 Nigerians were rescued by fishermen after they were dumped at sea off the coast of Liberia by the same Chinese cargo ship.
However, others managed to swim on shore and were rescued though with multiple wounds on their bodies during the night and morning hours of September 11 and 12 respectively.
According to the report, the 12 Nigerians after being rescued by some Liberian fishermen in the waters of Grandcess, Grand Kru County, admitted to being stowaways who illegally boarded the Chinese vessel in an attempt to seek greener pastures in Japan.
They revealed that they illegally boarded the vessel at Delta Port, Warri on September 7, 2022, with the aim of escaping to Japan in search of greener pastures.
Narrating their ordeals, said they were 14 in number that embarked on the vessel from Nigeria to Japan, but due to maltreatment by the crew onboard, two of their colleagues drowned while attempting to escape.
They further alleged that they were maltreated and subjected to severe torture by the Captain of the MV Ophelia Panama and his crew.
But speaking during an interview with the members of the press, the Head of the Joint Security Task Force in Grand Kru, Chris Teah, disclosed that the Nigerians were discovered in the ship after they were pounding on the ship to demand food from the crew.
According to Teah, the 14 Nigerians had spent five days without food and water while on the ship from Lagos before they were discovered by the crew on board.
In his words, “They were discovered up the deep sea by the crew. They (crew) sprayed hot water on them and two of their colleagues were killed. Six persons swam to get on shore.
“According to the Nigerians, they got on the ship secretly, but when they left Nigeria some five days ago, they went out of food. They started hitting the ship so that the crew can get the information that people were on board the ship.
“The crew came and rescued them. They and the crew were cool for like two days and by the third day, they started maltreating them up to the time they hit the soil of Liberia.
“Four more persons were rescued from the ship directly and the last two were thrown into the ocean by the guys (crew). The two that were reported killed, we didn’t see them and we don’t know whether they were killed on the Liberian soil or it happened at deep sea.”
