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Tag: marine police

  • Marine police gets 31 gunboats for effective inland water patrol

    Marine police gets 31 gunboats for effective inland water patrol

    With a charge to ensure effective security coverage of Lagos waters, the Inspector General of Police on Thursday inaugurated 31 gunboats purchased for the Marine Command to boost its operational capability.

    The unveiling, held at the Maritime Command Base, Ikoyi, marked a significant milestone in the Police’ strategic efforts to counter evolving security threats especially kidnapping, along Nigeria’s waterways, backwaters, inland channels, and coastal zones. 

    Equipped with cutting-edge navigation and communication systems, as well as integrated solar-powered technology, the newly acquired gunboats will enable precision patrol, real-time coordination and eco-friendly operations.

    Speaking at the ceremony, the IGP described the initiative as a symbol of renewed commitment to maritime safety, anti-crime patrols and rescue missions across the nation’s aquatic territories. 

    He said the acquisition and deployment of the gunboats reflected the police’ dedication to sustainable law enforcement and modernised standards.

    “These gunboats are not just vessels; they represent our unwavering resolve to protect Nigeria’s waterways, safeguard lives and property, and dismantle criminal networks. 

    “The integration of solar-powered systems aligns with global best practices in green policing and highlights our leadership in environmentally responsible law enforcement,” he said.

    IGP Egbetokun charged his men to sustain a good relationship with sister security services, noting that interagency collaboration between the police, military, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), among others, was essential to combating criminality in the Inland waters.

    Read Also: Okpebholo promises functional Marine Police for riverine communities

    He also acknowledged the importance of intelligence-led policing and community engagement, pledging deeper collaboration with coastal communities to harness local intelligence and foster mutual trust.

    The police chief commended President Bola Tinubu for his unwavering support and strategic investment in the modernization of the police, noting that the inauguration of the gunboats was a testament to the administration’s commitment towards strengthening the capacity of the police to fulfill its constitutional mandate.

    “Under Mr. President’s visionary leadership, the Nigeria Police is undergoing a transformation marked by reform, modernization and professional excellence. We remain committed to securing Nigeria with courage, integrity, and innovation,” said Egbetokun.

    Senior officers at the ceremony included Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in charge of Operations, DIG B. Wazhi; Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Special Protection Unit (SPU) Tunji Disu; AIG Zone 2, Adegoke Fayoade; AIG Police Mobile Force, Fundho Adegboye, AIG Maritime, Musa Garuba, among others.

  • Flood: Marine Police, Red Cross evacuate residents of Yola

    Marine Police and members of Nigerian Red Cross yesterday went to the aid of hundreds of stranded residents of Yolde-Pate Ward of Yola, Adamawa State following a flood caused by a downpour.

    The early morning rain caused a stream that passes through the ward to overflow its banks and submerge   houses, bridges and major culverts in Modire area of the ward.

    The policemen and Red Cross personnel transported  stranded residents of Modire area, particularly women and children, from the disaster zone.

    Other areas affected by the flood included Yola cattle market, Shagari Low Cost Housing Estate, Sabon-Pegi and Tashan-Sani.

    Also a bridge in Loko village on the road linking Yola to the northern part of the state was washed away by the rain, as a result many travellers on the route were stranded.

    Governor MuhammaduBindow  visitedYolde-Pate to sympathise with the victims and directed the State Emergency Management Agency to ensure food, drugs and shelter were provided for those affected.

    He advised the people against building on waterways to minimise flooding in residential areas.

     

  • Sacking of marine police

    •Govt must convince Nigerians that it has capacity to deal with militants in the creeks

    SOON after the governors of the South West states agreed to pool resources together to fight criminals who have been operating unimpeded around the creeks, the militants have demonstrated once again that they mean business. At a time people in Ogun and Lagos states were beginning to heave a sigh of relief, following assurances from the security agencies and the state governments to secure their lives and property, the miscreants took a bold step of striking at the headquarters of the marine police in Iwopin, Ogun Waterside Local Government Area.

    In Rambo style, they not only killed Sergeant Segun Okunola, they also wounded two other policemen on duty. There was hardly any resistance as the superior firearms of the militants easily overpowered the policemen’s, making way for them to escape with a police speed gunboat.

    It was a bold mission statement. The miscreants, by the singular action, said much more than the platitudes from the police, that they would operate anywhere whenever they choose.  This is a worrisome development, not only for residents of riverine communities, but the entire states. It is an indication that the police lack the knowledge, equipment and will to arrest the trend. One major feature of the modern state is that it has a monopoly of coercive force. States are expected to stand ahead of men of the underworld, thus imbuing confidence in the people that they are safe as long as they are law abiding.

    Speaking on the operation, chairman of the local government council, Femi Onanuga, expressed despair over the repeated attacks. He said, “these attacks are reoccurring almost every week and it is sad that we are losing civilians and policemen. People are fleeing from Ogun Waterside Local Government. We are appealing to the government to urgently come to our rescue”.

    Could and should government be so helpless?  Two weeks earlier, miscreants had attacked a businessman in the area, carting away some money from his residence. They were said to have served notice that they would return. So they did in a dare-devil manner. Only after the marine base said to be about the oldest in the country was sacked, did the Ogun State police commissioner deem it fit to pay a visit. He then deployed what has been described as a special unit. It remains to be seen how well equipped the new unit is. It is unfortunate that the police could wait until strategy struck before reacting.

    What Nigeria deserves is a police that is strong in intelligence gathering, one that is adequately armed and well motivated. All over the country, insecurity is the order of the day. The criminals are only kept at bay after military men are drawn to ward off their attacks.

    The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has drawn attention to the shortfall in personnel strength. He said about 150,000 men have to be recruited over the next five years if they are to adequately police the country. It should also be well funded. The force needs sufficient gun boats, special attack helicopters and forensic laboratory to deliver on its charge. It is unacceptable that battalions of policemen are attached to the political, economic and social elite with very few available to protect the citizenry.

    Only recently, the IGP disclosed that more than 200 policemen are attached to the Rivers State governor. This must stop if Nigerians are to derive the required benefits from a police force funded with taxpayers’ money.

     

  • Police deploy 25,000 personnel for Edo guber poll

    Police deploy 25,000 personnel for Edo guber poll

    The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, has approved the deployment of additional 25, 000 personnel for the Edo governorship election scheduled for Saturday to ensure safety before, during and after the election.

    This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by the Force Spokesman, DCP Don Awunah.

    He said that the personnel comprised of Police Mobile Force, Counter Terrorism Unit, Anti bomb Squad, Marine Police as well as conventional policemen.

    Others are the Armament Units, Personnel from Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, Force Intelligence Bureau and the Sniffer Dog Section.

    Awunah also said police aerial surveillance helicopters and gun boats, 10 additional armoured personnel carriers and 550 patrol vehicles would be deployed.

    He said that Idris was committed to ensuring that the election was conducted in accordance with the electoral law.

    The spokesman said that a Deputy-Inspector -General of Police, Assistant -Inspector General of Police and three Commissioners of Police have been deployed to coordinate the security operations.

    He said Idris would convene a peace meeting of all the political parties, candidates, INEC officials, election observers and other stakeholders before the election.

    “This meeting will focus on the overall desirability of peace during the election and adherence to the rules of the game.

    “All police personnel and other complementing sister security agencies are under strict instructions to be professionally polite and civil but firm in the discharge of their statutory duties,“ he said.

    Awunah said that the meeting was part of additional measures aimed at guaranteeing a credible election.

    He advised political parties, traditional rulers, community leaders as well as parents and guardians to prevail on their members, supporters, subjects, children and wards to be law abiding.

    “The spirit and letters of the law will be fully applied on any person or group of persons found violating the Electoral Act,’’ he said.

    Awunah said Idris assured the electorate and all law abiding citizens of the state of adequate security throughout the election.

    “He enjoins them to cooperate with the police in the discharge of their duties as the security personnel will operate within the framework of democratic policing, ‘’ he added.

  • Marine police nab four suspected stowaways

    Marine police nab four suspected stowaways

    The Marine Police have arrested four persons for allegedly attempting to stowaway in a Malaysia-bound cargo ship.

    The suspects were arrested following intelligence information received by Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Maritime Police Command, Muhammed Katsina.

    The suspects – Ahmed Azeez, 24, Tunde Yagba, 33, Ajose Kehinde, 33, and Sunday Adewale, 25 – were tracked by the Intelligence group of the Amphibious Ambush Squad (AAS) led by the Officer-in-charge of Marine Command, Ben Ogungbure, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).

    Parading three of the suspects yesterday, Katsina said Adewale was in the hospital because he has ulcer.

    He said the suspects were tracked 23 hours after they had departed, adding that upon interrogation, the command discovered they have travelled to some countries illegally but were deported.

    He described the arrest as the gain of the Basic Marine Operation Course (BMOC) undertaken by 39 policemen on the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Quorra.

    Katsina said: “Upon my assumption of office as AIG Maritime, I made a pledge to empower a wide range of security architecture to cover our maritime environment, the waterways and littoral communities.

    “Now, we are gradually dominating the maritime environment through our network of intelligence, which is very active. In this matter, it’s a case of self human trafficking and stowaway of four young Nigerians who conspired with a criminal motive to travel out of the country without proper documentation.

    “The suspects, all indigenes of Snake Island Village behind Tin Can Island Port, Lagos, conspired with intent to commit felony. They stole a canoe under the cover of darkness and paddled to a Malaysian-bound cargo ship MV Maersk Casablanca. The vessel was berthed at Tincan Island Port and trespassed into the vessel. They dived into the water and sneaked through the propeller into the manhole, where they hid themselves in a small compartment.

    “It happened that 23 hours after the ship had sailed out, my intelligence group from the AAS alerted me of the presence of some strange elements in the vessel. We quickly alerted our operatives at Onne Port, in collaboration with the men of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) who played a commendable role and they were found and arrested. One of them (Adewale) was bleeding profusely as a result of injury he sustained in the process while sneaking into the vessel.”

    Katsina said the route the suspects took have been discovered to be an easy corridor for human trafficking, drug peddling, gun running, piracy, smuggling and hostage taking.

    He said: “From the account of the suspects, this has been a recurring phenomenon in the maritime environment as most of them claimed to have previously gone through this process to South Africa, Spain, and Canada only to be deported.

    “Therefore, we will redesign the methodology of our operation by sitting with the Nigerian Navy, NIS and other sister agencies to cover the maritime environment.

    “So that whenever they want to use this corridor to commit crime, they will be arrested and prosecuted within the ambits of the law.”

    Explaining why he has consistently attempted to travel illegally, Azeez said it was his only option.

    He said: “I had no other option but to travel out of the country since I couldn’t make it in Nigeria. I didn’t want to steal so I decided to stowaway. Although I was in South Africa before I was deported, I decided to try France after some of my friends who had earlier stolen away to France called me to come over.

    “We didn’t steal the boat. We paid a fisherman N500 to ferry us across to the vessel. We bought garri and gala to tide us over.”

    Ajose said he had in 2009 travelled to Brazil but was deported, adding that he called the three others so that they could try again.

    Yagba said: “It was Ajose that called us together. I told my family but they advised me against it, but I had nothing to do so I followed my friends.”

     

  • Marine police nab four suspected stowaways

    Operatives of the Marine Police Command have arrested four suspected stowaways who boarded a Malaysia bound cargo ship.

    The suspects were arrested following intelligence information availed the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Maritime Police Command, Muhammed Katsina.

    The suspects -Ahmed Azeez (24), Tunde Yagba (33), Ajose Kehinde (33) and Sunday Adewale (25) were tracked by the intelligence group of the Amphibious Ambush Squad (AAS) led by the officer-in-charge of Marine Command, Ben Ogungbure, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).

    Parading three of the suspects before journalists on Tuesday, Katsina said Adewale was in the hospital receiving treatment for ulcer

    He said the suspects were tracked 23 hours after they had departed, adding that upon interrogation, the command discovered they have travelled to various countries illegally but were deported.

    He described the arrest as positive fallout of the Basic Marine Operation Course (BMOC) undertaken by 39 policemen at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Quorra.

    Katsina said: “Upon my assumption of office as AIG Maritime, I made a pledge to empower a wide range of security architecture to cover our maritime environment, the waterways and littoral communities.

    “Now, we are gradually dominating the maritime environment through our network of intelligence, which is very active.

    “In this matter, it’s a case of self human trafficking and stowaway of four young Nigerians who conspired with a criminal motive to travel out of the country without proper documentation.

    “The suspects, all indigenes of Snake Island Village behind Tin Can Island Port, Lagos, conspired with an intent to commit felony. They stole a canoe under the cover of darkness and paddled to a Malaysian-bound cargo ship MV Maersk Casablanca.

    “The vessel was berthed at Tin Can Island Port and trespassed into the vessel. They dived into the water and sneaked through the propeller into the manhole, where they hid themselves in a small compartment.

    “It happened that 23 hours after the ship had sailed out, my intelligence group from the Amphibious Ambush Squad (AAS) alerted me of the presence of some strange elements in the vessel.

    “We quickly alerted our operatives at Onne Port, in collaboration with the men of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) who played a commendable role and they were found and arrested.”

     

  • Our marine police

    Our marine police

    •The Federal Government must take security seriously on our waterways

    Two robbery incidents in the Lagos area this year alone speak volumes about the state of Maritime Police in the country. The robbers successfully carried out their operations and escaped through waterways. One occurred on June 24 at Ikorodu, where an armed robbery gang reportedly led by a woman robbed two banks and carted away about N100million. The robbers escaped in two speedboats via the Ikorodu waterway, although they were later arrested by the police. Then, on October 6, about 44 heavily armed robbers said to have dressed in military camouflage invaded two banks in FESTAC. They also escaped through the 4th Avenue canal after operating for about two hours.

    Something must have emboldened the robbers to use the waterways as escape route and that is the fact that they know the maritime police is handicapped by dearth of sophisticated equipment. A report in one of the national dailies painted the picture of a maritime or marine police that is neglected, with its officers and men under-kitted and largely unmotivated. It is so bad that the marine police, according to one of them who spoke on condition of anonymity, buy their uniforms, among other abnormalities.  “One of our problems here is that we’ve not had a serious Federal Government that would carry out a reformation of the police as a whole. We buy our uniforms, we buy helmets, we buy life jackets because these things are not usually provided for us”, he said. Another said of the sophisticated equipment they are supposed to have: “We don’t have such equipment. I only see them in movies.” Nothing can be more indicting.

    This is not a good testimonial. Maritime security is crucial for the continent’s economic development and indeed overall security. When security is treated with levity the way we have done in the country, we are all losers. With specific reference to the maritime police, the aforementioned robbery incidents in Lagos as well as the statistics from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), bear testimonies to this.

    According to the bureau, at least 11 piracy incidents in which 10 crew members were kidnapped in ships were recorded in the first half of the year in the country. It added that “A number of crew members were also injured and kidnapped in past attacks. Generally, all waters in/off Nigeria remain risky. Vessels are advised to be vigilant, as many attacks may have gone unreported”. What all these tell us is that the government must get serious about doing the needful to support the police.

    Of course for Nigerians who know that the conventional policemen too suffer a lot of deprivations, the challenges hampering the effectiveness of the marine police would not be news since the marine police is only a microcosm of the larger Nigeria Police Force. It therefore would be foolhardy to expect that it would be any better from the NPF, in terms of equipment, training and motivation. A Lagos-based security analyst, Mr. Femi Adeseun, put things in perspective when he said that “at times, I wonder if the police we have can truly fight crimes with those old weapons they carry about. If the police on land drive rickety trucks, it is expected that officers in the marine unit will paddle canoes”. That is what exactly is happening to our marine police.

    Indeed, but for the efforts of some state governments that have taken it upon themselves to bend over backwards to assist the police by providing them with kits and other necessary tools, including financial motivation, the task of policing the country would have been the more arduous. In a swift move, Lagos State governor Akinwumi Ambode responded with gunboats designed to operate in sync with air power from helicopters.

    What to do? We expect the new government to take an inventory of what the police, including the maritime police require to facilitate their jobs, and begin to tackle them in order of priority. There should be a holistic approach to solving the problem. There is the need for total transformation of the police force. And this cannot be done unless Nigerians begin to insist on irreducible minimum standards from their governments on some of the challenges confronting the country.