A group of 16 stowaways have been found on a Pacific Basin bulker in Lagos, Nigeria.

The crew of the 56,000-dwt Columbia River (built 2006) initially thought they were under attack by pirates and sent a distress signal, The Guardian daily  said.

Fifteen of the group were Nigerian, and there was also one Liberian.

They were arrested on 4 November by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), working with the navy.

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