A Ghanaian registered passenger boat has been rescued off the southern coast of Nigeria with over 200 West Africans on board.
The MV Pomah Express left the coastal city of Cotonou in Benin Republic some 11 days ago and was heading for Gabon.
It developed an engine fault and went adrift off the coast of Nigeria.
A diving support vessel picked up the boat's distress signals and rescued it around the Bonny river area in the southern state of Rivers.
On board were mostly West Africans from Niger, Ghana, Benin Republic, Congo, Mali, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Cote d'Ivoire and Togo.
Some of the passengers were children.
The BBC's Abdullahi Kaura who went to see the rescued boat, but was not allowed on board, says it was crammed with cows and cars.
He says some of the rescued passengers look quite ill and that medical personnel are treating them.
He added that the boat was clearly unsuitable for the number of persons and goods he saw on board.
The passengers are being looked after by a medical team from Shell Petroleum Development Company whose diving vessel performed the rescue operation.
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