Police beef-up security at ports, task maritime stakeholders on intelligence gathering

THE Western Ports Command of the Nigerian Police has challenged maritime stakeholders to support the police and other security agencies with relevant intelligence gathering.

Speaking in Lagos during a one-day programme put together for port police officers, the Commissioner in-charge of the command, Mrs Hilda Ibifuro-Harrison, said said security has been beefed-up at strategic locations leading to the ports.

She advised all security personnel to abide by the security arrangements and subject themselves to search at the appropriate points.

Ibifuro-Harrison emphasized the need for strong inter-agency collaboration, adding that it is in the interest of all stakeholders and by extension the nations’ economy.

The commissioner also used the opportunity to advise truck drivers and container owners to ensure containers laden on trucks are properly fastened before leaving the ports.

She said truck drivers should be sensitized on the need to protect other road users, pointing out “I expect that we will no longer have containers that pose dangers to the lives of other road users”.

According to her, intelligence gathering go a long way in tracking criminal activities and those behind them.

She said through inter-agency collaboration and intelligence sharing, criminal activities could be tackled right from the source before it happens.

Ibifuro-Harrison who spoke on sundry issues during the meeting said officers must ensure mutual respect for one another “especially for the experienced officers who have the skills to improve on the security in the ports’ environment. ‘’

She also pledged to tackle reported attacks on some terminals, meet with the Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to seek for assistance.