The Ports Authority Police (Western) Command and the Lagos Seaport & Marine Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service have intensified efforts to curb the growing wave of stowaway attempts in Lagos ports.
This came to fore following a strategic meeting between Commissioner of Police, Oluwatoyin Iyabode Agbaminoja and Comptroller Clementina O. Ogbudu on Friday in Lagos.
The meeting, held at the Immigration Command Headquarters in Apapa, Lagos, focused on coordinated responses to human smuggling, stowaway incidents, trafficking in persons, and illicit maritime activities—threats both leaders described as increasingly complex within Nigeria’s port ecosystem.
CP Agbaminoja noted that with Lagos hosting some of the busiest maritime gateways in West Africa, enhancing multi-agency intelligence sharing and joint operations has become essential. She emphasized that migration-related vulnerabilities and port access loopholes provide opportunities for cross-border criminal networks, making stronger collaboration between the Police and Immigration Service critical.
Comptroller Ogbudu, in her remarks, acknowledged that many of the security breaches recorded in recent years, required combined enforcement strategies rather than isolated interventions. She commended the Ports Authority Police for its proactive approach and stressed that synergy would help strengthen border control systems while supporting national and international security obligations.
Discussions between both agencies extended to joint patrol deployments, improved crew documentation processes, operational training, and a unified approach to handling incidents involving foreign crew, stowaways, or undocumented individuals attempting to access vessels.
