Cynthia Ezegwu
The Marine Unit of the Ports Authority Police (Western) Command has arrested seven suspects linked to a series of attacks on international vessels operating in Lagos Ports, the command announced on Friday.
According to Assistant Superintendent of Police Isaac Hundeyin, Public Relations Officer of the command, operatives on routine patrol around the waterfront of Ports & Terminal Multiservices Limited intercepted a suspicious speed boat near vessel CL YINGNA HE, berthed at Berth 12.
The patrol team initially observed three occupants on the boat and discovered four more individuals attempting to hide on the deck. The suspects were seen using a long bamboo pole with a steel hook to gain unauthorized access to the vessel. Upon questioning, the suspects failed to provide credible explanations for their presence in the restricted port area.
A thorough search of the boat recovered items believed to be intended for criminal use, including a heavy iron cutter, two saw blades, a long bamboo stick with steel curved hook attachment, ship rope, 31 assorted spanners, four screwdrivers, pliers, a plastic bucket, and the speed boat fitted with a 60HP Yamaha engine.
The suspects were transferred to the Port Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation and were subsequently arraigned in court on 20th November 2025. Hundeyin stated that the suspects’ modus operandi matched patterns observed in previous attacks on international vessels within the Lagos Port Corridor.
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Commissioner of Police, Ports Authority Police (Western) Command, Oluwatoyin Agbaminoja, assured maritime stakeholders of the command’s commitment to eliminating criminal activities within Nigerian ports. She added that the command will continue to intensify patrols, enhance intelligence gathering, and collaborate with other security agencies to maintain a secure and business-friendly maritime environment.
The Ports Authority Police is responsible for security across Nigerian ports, with the Western Command headquartered at Apapa Quays, Lagos, and the Eastern Command in Port Harcourt. The Marine Unit of the Western Command oversees waterfront security operations up to 12 nautical miles offshore.