FG Introduces Anti- terrorist Squad at Seaports

…..As NAGAFF Tackles Police on Alleged Illegal Operations

In the bid to improve on the level of security at the nation’s seaport, the Federal Government is set to introduce a special police unit known as the anti-bomb and anti-terrorist squad; they are to be integrated into all sea ports in Nigeria.

This hint was dropped last week by the Commissioner of Police in charge of seaports, Mr. Hillary Opara while on a familiarization visit to the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF).

The news came just as NAGAFF disclosed that it has forwarded a petition to the office of the Inspector General of Police over alleged illegal stoppage of containers that have already been duly cleared in the ports.

Founder and chairman Board of Trustee of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam consequently tasked the Police commissioner to ensure that effort is made to discourage some men of the police force who often engage in interception of cleared containers from the ports saying that it is a hindrance to the logistics chain.

 Aniebonam lamented that “we are not happy with the problems our members are having, when goods are properly cleared out of customs control in our ports, officers of the Nigerian police who rightly know that the police are dully represented in the ports continue to interfere with issues that are not technical issues to them or which they are familiar with”

“We are your subjects and we want to believe that whatever affects us affects you too, we therefore ask and plead you to take up this responsibility to the inspector general of police and see how these inconveniences can be rectified”, he told the commissioner.

But Opara explained that the need to forestall any act of terrorism at the ports and also improve on existing maritime security measures necessitated the creation of the special squad. He also explained that it is in line with requirements of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

He assured port users that the new squad would not inhibit port operations, even as he explained that it is “not to inconvenience anybody particularly those of you who do your operations here, it is to fortify the ports to be in line with the requirements of the International Maritime Organization”.

“When you see this people coming in, please you have to bear with them, there might be one or two inconveniences here, but believe you me, they are not here to antagonize you or to stop you from doing your business” he explained.