Lagos Port Corridor Clean-up: Maritime Police committed to maritime security and trade facilitation – AIG Nurat

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Maritime Police Command, AIG Okunade Ronke Nurat, fsi, has reiterated the Command’s commitment to supporting all lawful initiatives geared towards enhancing maritime security, facilitating trade, reducing congestion, and promoting ease of doing business within Nigeria’s ports and waterways.

AIG Okunade Ronke Nurat, fsi, assured the public, port users, and stakeholders of the Command continuous resolve to maintain law and order within the maritime environment and to sustain collaborative efforts aimed at protecting critical national assets and economic infrastructure.

AIG Okunade Ronke Nurat gave this assurance during the Lagos Port Corridor Clean-Up and Enforcement Exercise, part of a coordinated inter-agency operation aimed at restoring order, improving security, and enhancing operational efficiency within the Lagos Port environment.

She commended the professionalism, discipline, and synergy displayed by participating officers and collaborating agencies throughout the operation.

The exercise, coordinated by the Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Princess Zahra Mustapha Audu, was undertaken in collaboration with key stakeholders including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Lagos State Government, and other relevant security and regulatory agencies.

In line with its statutory mandate of ensuring safety and security within the nation’s maritime domain, the Maritime Police Command deployed operational personnel and patrol teams across strategic locations within the Lagos Port corridor, particularly around Apapa and Tin Can Island Port environments.

During the exercise, the Committee carried out the removal of illegal checkpoints and other unlawful obstructions capable of impeding port operations and free movement within the corridor. The operation also targeted unauthorized maritime activities, port rats, street urchins, touts, thugs, criminal elements, and unlicensed operators whose activities constitute security threats and undermine sanity within the port environment. Efforts were equally intensified to curb unauthorized entry into the ports by persons with no legitimate business within the port facilities, while ensuring strict compliance with extant security and access control measures.

Members of the public, particularly port users were encouraged to remain law-abiding and continue to support security agencies by providing credible and timely information through the appropriate channels, including the PEBEC complaint platforms, to aid the ongoing enforcement and security operations.