Terrorism is a global phenomenon. On daily basis, there are news reports of attacks on humanity by those who have chosen to go to war with their fellow human beings. They kill, maim and destroy.
In the last three to four years, the dreadful act has pitched its tent in Nigeria, inflicting destructions and deaths, most especially in the northern part of the country.
Terrorism is a global phenomenon. On daily basis, there are news reports of attacks on humanity by those who have chosen to go to war with their fellow human beings. They kill, maim and destroy.
In the last three to four years, the dreadful act has pitched its tent in Nigeria, inflicting destructions and deaths, most especially in the northern part of the country.
The southern part of the country has largely been spare, until earlier this year when the port city of Apapa was attacked by the dreaded Boko Haram Islamist fundamentalists group, which targeted Folawiyo jetty on Creek Road, Apapa with a twin explosion.
Apparently because of the security implication of the attack, it was downplayed by the security agencies; it was explained away as a mere petroleum tanker explosion.
However, less than one week after government had given its own version of what the cause is, an Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran and a specialist in improvised explosive devices (IEDs); Bob Seddon blew the lid over what is definitely a lie on the part of the Federal Government. He confirmed that, “this was definitely an incident involving the use of high explosives”. He spoke to the AFP
After that incident, the nation went to bed thinking that the south was too far away from the theatre of war in the north, no one gave any serious thought to the Bob Seddon alert.
We were woken again from our slumber about three weeks ago, when an Assistant Commissioner of Police dropped the bombshell that the Police had received an intelligent report that the ports were to be attacked by Boko Haram.
Representing the commissioner of Police in charge of the seaports; Mrs Hilda Ibifuro Harrison, the Assistant Commissioner; Salem Amacheere? had told the media that: "We have had this threat a month before last, intelligent report had it that they were making plans to visit Lagos, with that information we are saying that we are having our eyes open to make sure that such a thing does not happen in Lagos or in the Western ports"
"We have beefed-up security and made sure that in case of such presence, they don't hit their target".
The commissioner cautioned stakeholders to ensure that the port access roads are free for movement and that there should not be congestion which has hitherto hindered free flow of traffic.
And in characteristic manner, the Police has since denied the statement, even when it is obvious that the assistant commissioner was neither misquoted nor quoted out of context
Honestly, no one can convincingly say that the ports are as secured as they ought to be. On a good day, there are scores of people with questionable justifications all struggling to gain access into the ports. Doubt it, come to Tin Can Island port as early as six o’clock in the morning and you will be amazed at the mass of human beings milling around the entrance.
We recall at this point that, it is the fear that terrorism could penetrate the maritime sector through ports and ships that gave rise to the famed International Ships and Ports facility Security (ISPS) Code.
One significant part of the ISPS code is requirement that access into the ports must be controlled electronically. To the best of our knowledge, none of the nation’s seaport is fitted with electronic gadgets that do not look at faces nor require gratification before admitting people into the ports.
Nigerians were told some years ago that their seaports are now ISPS code- compliant and that the Lagos Ports Complex would soon be fitted with access control electronic instruments and that the hi-tech equipment would soon get to other ports. Going by that assurance, today no one ought to be able to enter the ports without the electronic card. But the sad thing is that neither Lagos ports nor any port for that matter enjoys the privilege of a restricted access.
Yes, some people may argue that the terminals have access control, but how many of them have electronic access control devices.
We quite sympathise with the new Designated Authourity (DA); that is the NIMASA for being the one to clean the rots that years of non-compliance has degenerated into.
May it be said that being compliant is not about painting our ports and putting barricades at the terminals, it’s not about putting clueless and half trained security personnel at the entry and exit points, it is also not about forming associations (we know of the existence of a group of chief security officers of the various ports and terminals who meet monthly under the aegis of Port Facility Security Officers) which have turned to a social gathering where stale information and situation reports are shared monthly rather than being proactive at their various duty posts.
Being compliant is certainly not akin to using the police and customs officers to harass hapless customs agents. If the ports adhere to the modus operandi of the ISPS code, it would have been extremely difficult seeing the army of ‘port users’ who throng in and out of the ports and who mill around the various ports daily.
Rather than deny, government and its security agencies should be more conscious of the demands of the ISPS code. We are very certain that our present worry is because the ports are only compliant on paper, while in actual practice, what goes on within the ports and at the entrances is akin to standing ISPS code on its feet.
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