No fewer than 103 suspects are in the net over crimes committed in the nation’s seaports situated in Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, Lagos.
In the same vein, not less than 57 cases of various crimes were reported during the period under review.
The suspects who were arrested in the first half of 2024 was sequel to what the Nigerian Ports Police Authority (NPA) Command, Western Zone called a “crack down on crime” in the nation’s seaports.
The suspects were apprehended through various operations, including raids on criminal hideouts, vehicular and foot patrols, intensive surveillance and intelligence gathering.
These were contained in a report presented by Deputy Commissioner of Police Operations, Mr. Ibrahim Abdul at the quarterly meeting of the Nigeria Ports Consultative Council which took place recently in Lagos.
According to the report, the arrests were distributed across the divisions with Ports CIID Apapa accounting for the highest number of arrests at 42, followed by Apapa Division with 16 arrests, and Roro Division with 14 arrests.
The cases involved a range of crimes including assault, misdemeanour, stowaway, and theft. In the report, theft was the most prevalent crime with 18 cases reported, resulting in a property loss of N103 million with only N10 million recovered.
The total value of property stolen, lost or damaged was a staggering N142 million with recovered property valued at N16 million. The arrests and recoveries are a testament to the command’s efforts to ensure the security of the ports and prevent criminal activities.
The Police Chief noted that despite these efforts, the figures underscore the ongoing challenges in ensuring security in the nation’s seaports in the first half of the year.
Abdul also stressed the need for continued vigilance and enhanced security measures to protect valuable assets and maintain order in the nation’s seaports in the months ahead.
