The Maritime Police Command has assured freight forwarders that the police will not interfere with containers that have been duly cleared by the appropriate authorities, reiterating its commitment to professionalism and seamless trade facilitation within the port environment.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Maritime Police Command, AIG Okunade Ronke Nurat, gave the assurance when she engaged the leadership of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA) over concerns relating to police operations within the port cargo clearance process.
The separate engagements were held at the Headquarters of the Maritime Police Command, Force Headquarters Annex, Lagos.
According to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Adebayo Rasheed Adesayo, the meetings were convened by AIG Nurat to provide a platform for direct dialogue, clarification of concerns, and the strengthening of collaboration between the Command and critical stakeholders in the maritime sector.
During the separate meetings, the NAGAFF delegation, led by Mr. Simon Nwonu and Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko, and the NCMDLCA delegation, led by High Chief Lucky Eyis Amiwero, appreciated AIG Nurat for creating the opportunity for constructive engagement and expressed their willingness to deepen cooperation with the Maritime Police Command.
The stakeholders stressed the importance of combating criminality and other unlawful activities within the port environment while ensuring that legitimate trade and business activities are not unnecessarily impeded.
Responding to the concerns raised, AIG Nurat appreciated the stakeholders for their constructive approach and willingness to engage with the Command.
She emphasised that effective maritime security and efficient trade facilitation are complementary objectives that require mutual understanding, effective communication, and sustained collaboration among all relevant stakeholders.
The AIG acknowledged the concerns expressed by the stakeholders and highlighted the importance of bridging existing communication gaps between the Command and operators within the maritime sector.
She assured the delegations that credible intelligence requiring police intervention would be properly documented and subjected to appropriate investigation in accordance with established procedures, rather than resulting in the indiscriminate stoppage of consignments.
Nurat reiterated that the Command would not interfere with containers that had been duly examined and cleared by the appropriate authorities and were proceeding in transit, except where credible intelligence or other lawful circumstances required police intervention.
As part of the continued stakeholder engagement on the subject, a subsequent multi-stakeholder meeting was also held at the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), where the issues were further deliberated upon in the spirit of cooperation and institutional understanding.
The engagement provided an opportunity for relevant stakeholders to further clarify their respective roles and responsibilities within the port environment and reinforced the need for coordinated action, effective communication, and adherence to established procedures in addressing matters requiring security or investigative intervention.
The meetings concluded with a shared commitment to sustained dialogue, improved communication, intelligence sharing and enhanced inter-agency collaboration towards maintaining a secure, transparent, and efficient maritime environment.
The Maritime Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to intelligence-led, professional, and accountable policing in line with the vision of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu.
The Command added that it would continue to review and strengthen its operational processes to ensure that the security of Nigeria’s maritime domain is pursued in harmony with the facilitation of legitimate trade and the protection of the nation’s economic interests.
