Nigerian Man Recounts Deadly 1997 Journey from Lagos to Spain Hidden Inside Ship Engine Room
A Nigerian man identified simply as Mr. David has shared the harrowing story of his illegal journey from Lagos to Spain in 1997, revealing the life-threatening risks he and others took in pursuit of a better life.
In a TikTok video shared by user @yomilistens, Mr. David opened up about how he and 19 other desperate individuals paid $1,000 each to be smuggled into Europe by an engineer aboard a cargo ship. The group was hidden inside the vessel’s engine room and survived the nearly two-month voyage under inhumane conditions.
According to Mr. David, the journey lasted one month and three weeks from the Lagos seaport to Barcelona, Spain. During that time, seven of the stowaways tragically died due to heat, suffocation, and lack of food and water. Their bodies, he said, were thrown overboard to avoid attracting the attention of the ship’s crew.
“We ate only Agege bread and sachet water for weeks. Seven people died and we had to throw their bodies into the sea. I was scared every day,” Mr. David recalled.
He also reflected on the circumstances that led him to take such a dangerous risk. Raised in Port Harcourt by a wealthy fisherman father who owned multiple boats and supplied fish to the top hotels in the region, Mr. David said he was denied an education despite the family’s financial means.
“My dad decided only one of us could go to school. I gave up my own chance so my brother could attend. That was my first regret in life. I wish I had gone to school,” he said.
Although he eventually reached Spain, his joy was short-lived. After the group split up in Barcelona, he managed to find shelter with a kind Spanish family. But his desire for Nigerian food led to his capture.
“I met a Nigerian who directed me to a Nigerian restaurant. The day I went there, immigration officials raided the place. I was arrested, sent to the Nigerian embassy, then deported,” he explained.
Back in Nigeria, Mr. David used what little money he had left to start a small aluminum business, which he continues to run to this day. However, he says his life is filled with regrets chief among them, his missed opportunity for education, his deportation from Europe, and the absence of a male child.
“I later found out I’m impotent. I can’t father a child. I’ve tried. Women are important, but I’ve always wanted a son,” he said emotionally. “But I’m happy I’ve stopped drinking. That gives me peace.”
Mr. David’s story has struck a chord with viewers online, sparking conversations about migration, missed opportunities, and the cost of chasing dreams at all costs.
