The Maritime Police Command has joined the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) in the Lagos Port Corridor clean-up and enforcement exercise aimed at restoring order, improving security, and enhancing operational efficiency within the port environment.
The Command, under the leadership of AIG Okunade Ronke Nurat, supported the exercise held on May 14 and 15, 2026, as part of a coordinated inter-agency operation targeted at improving safety and ensuring the free flow of activities within the Lagos Port corridor.
According to a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Adebayo Rasheed Adesayo, the exercise was coordinated by the Director-General of PEBEC, Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, in collaboration with key stakeholders, including the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Lagos State Government, and other relevant security and regulatory agencies.
In line with its statutory mandate of ensuring safety and security within the nation’s maritime domain, the Command deployed operational personnel and patrol teams to strategic locations within the Lagos Port corridor, particularly around Apapa and Tin Can Island port environments.
During the exercise, the committee removed illegal checkpoints and other unlawful obstructions capable of impeding port operations and hindering the free movement of persons and goods within the corridor. The operation also targeted unauthorized maritime activities, port rats, street urchins, touts, thugs, criminal elements, and unlicensed operators whose activities pose security threats and undermine orderliness within the port environment.
Similarly, efforts were intensified to curb unauthorised entry into the ports by individuals with no legitimate business within the port facilities, while ensuring strict compliance with existing security and access control measures.
Commenting on the initiative, AIG Nurat commended the professionalism, discipline, and synergy displayed by participating officers and collaborating agencies throughout the operation.
She reiterated the Command’s commitment to supporting all lawful initiatives aimed at enhancing maritime security, facilitating trade, reducing congestion, and promoting ease of doing business within Nigeria’s ports and waterways.
The AIG equally assured members of the public, port users, and stakeholders of the Command’s continued resolve to maintain law and order within the maritime environment and sustain collaborative efforts geared towards protecting critical national assets and economic infrastructure.
She further encouraged members of the public, particularly port users, to remain law-abiding and continue supporting security agencies by providing credible and timely information through appropriate channels, including the PEBEC complaint platforms, to aid ongoing enforcement and security operations.
