Operatives of the Marine Unit of the Ports Authority Police (Western) Command have arrested seven suspects believed to be responsible for serial attacks on visiting vessels within the Lagos port corridor.
According to an official press statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Isaac Hundeyin on Friday, the suspects were apprehended in the early hours of November 16, 2025, when a routine patrol around the Ports & Terminal Multi-Services Limited (PTML) waterfront intercepted a suspicious speedboat positioned close to Hong Kong–flagged vessel CL YINGNA HE, berthed at Berth 12.
According to the Command, officers initially sighted three men on the boat, before discovering four others lying flat in the boat, in an attempt to evade detection. The team also observed the suspects stretching a long bamboo pole fitted with a steel hook toward the berthed vessel—an indication of an attempted unauthorized boarding.
When questioned, the seven men reportedly failed to provide any credible explanation for their presence in the restricted port zone.
A search of the speedboat led to the recovery of several tools believed to be used for illegal boarding operations, including a heavy iron cutter, saw blades, a long bamboo stick with a curved metal hook, assorted spanners, screwdrivers, a ship rope, a plier, a plastic bucket, and the speedboat itself, powered by a 60HP Yamaha engine.
Following their arrest, the suspects were handed over to the Port Criminal Investigation Department (Port CID) for discreet investigation.
Port Police said the incident bears striking resemblance to recent attacks on vessels in the Lagos ports, including the Hong Kong–flagged MV RIGI VENTURE attacked at SIFAX Port & Cargo Terminal on October 21; the Korean–flagged MV GLOVIS COSMOS attacked at the Five Star Logistics Terminal on November 14; and the Liberian–flagged CL YINGNA HE, which was targeted a day before the suspects’ arrest.
Investigators at the Port CID have since established strong links between the suspects and the earlier incidents based on similarities in their modus operandi. All seven were subsequently arraigned in court on November 20, 2025.
Commissioner of Police, Ports Authority Police (Western) Command, Oluwatoyin Iyabode Agbaminoja, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s ports, assuring stakeholders that security efforts would continue to be intensified.
She pledged ongoing collaboration with other security agencies, increased patrols, and enhanced intelligence gathering to ensure a safe and business-friendly maritime environment.
