– As over N692million worth of property stolen
– Stowaways change tactics to board vessels
Vincent Toritseju
The department added that the agency also lost over N692million to damaged properties and pilferage.
Speaking to Sweetcrudereports on the sideline of the quarterly meeting of the Nigerian Port Consultative Council held at the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos, NPA’s General Manager Security, Mr. Mohammed Jamil Khalil, also said that stowaways have devised new methods of barding vessels because of improved security at the ports.
He explained that incidents of stowaways reflects the nation’s economic situation as more people are bent on seeking economic freedom from the current situation in Nigeria adding that the wire mesh perimeter fencing should be changed for concrete fencing.
He said: “Stowaways have changed tactics in boarding vessels; they do not come to the port to board vessels anymore due to improved port security. The stowaways now tracks and trails these vessels with speed boats before boarding them at anchorage.
“The management of the Nigerian Ports Authority has acquired more patrol boats to secure the ports across the country. Stowaways are a reflection of the current economic situation; people are hell bent on looking for greener pastures elsewhere embarking on these risky journeys.
“We also discovered that these stowaways now hibernate in some of these coastal communities from where they plan their deadly voyages and most times, we arrest these criminals in action because we spend monies on intelligence.
“The moment we received this intelligence, we wait for the vessels at anchorage and signal the ship Captain to stop before we move in to get them and most times, we find them in the rudder of the vessels.”
Khalil also explained that the weak laws in prosecuting stowaways has been the challenge as the laws are not stringent enough to deter them adding that there is a need to review these laws so as to keep the ports safe and secured from stowaways.
A breakdown of the security report also showed that 15 accidents were recorded in the year under review, while 12 persons were arrested for various crimes, three in LPC, three at Tin-Can Isalnd Port and two in Calabar Port.
A further breakdown also showed that 17 properties belonging to the NPA were destroyed, four in LPC, three in TCIP, one in Kiri-Kiri Lighter Terminal, KLT three in Rivers Port four in Delta Port and two in Calabar Port.
In the report, five stowaways were apprehended, a total of three were arrested at the LPC one at TICP and one at the Delta Port as against 11 protests recorded for the year 2023. While three of such protests took place at the LPC, two at TCIP, two at the newly constructed Lekki Deep seaport, one in Rivers Port tow at the Federal Ocean Terminal in Onne, River State and one in Delta Port.
According to the report, a total of 18 theft were recorded, 11 in Calabar Port, three in Delta Port, one each in Federal Lighter Terminal in Onne and Rivers Port and two in LPC as against only two fire incident, one each in both River Port and TICP.
