The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Maritime Mr. Musa Katsina has solicited the support of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) on information gathering to curb issues bothering on insecurity that may arise in the maritime sector.
Speaking in his office yesterday, when members of the freight forwarding association paid a working visit in Lagos, Katsina stated that the department called maritime police command has a general function as enshrined under section 4 of the police act.
He further advocated for a joint meeting between both institutions for information and intelligence gathering on ideas relating to happenings and events in the sector; including the creeks, rivers, sea, and the ocean.
He noted that the duty of the command is to deal with matter that may arise on maritime crime which according to him include sea robbery, piracy, kidnapping, hostage taking and smuggling of food items and contraband on waters.
According to him, the visit of NAGAFF top echelon was timely stressing the need to work as partners in progress for the benefit of the maritime sector.
The AIG also reiterated the command's commitment to address any form of water borne crimes and to ensure proactive measures to resolve any marine related crimes.
Katsina maintained that for every crime committed in the maritime environment there are two factors which he mentioned to involve land and aquatic space.
He noted that crimes cannot be nipped in bud without strategic partners like the freight forwarding association , pointing out that "having NAGAFF is not to play a political role as far my own mission is concern you are going to play strategically in the job of law and enforcement especially on areas relating to intelligence"
"It is not an issue of the police alone and once you are a stakeholder we will need that common platform for us to plan for intelligence gathering and physical action against crime and criminal element"
The Former Commissioner of Police for Imo state pointed that security and safety are key in the operations of the command on the nation’s territorial waters; even as he stressed further that with information sharing among stakeholders from the industry and the force issues surround smuggling, stowaways and other marine related crimes may not arise because the force would tackle the seen at the incubator stage before it blows out of proportion.
"NAGAFF is central and we will take you along because by your constitutional mandate there is this inter - connectivity which is interwoven between us and you but when it comes to crime control, all of us are one army moving into one direction", Katsina stated.
He further urged members of NAGAFF to be the third eye of the force, saying that corruption has not been eliminated completely for the ports system.
Katsina stated that the police depends heavily on cooperation with institutions in the maritime sector and there is need to relate with maritime based group and NAGAFF is no inception.
He however promised to resolve issues surrounding NAGAFF operations at the ports.
Speaking on behalf of the association, Chairman Board Of Trustee of NAGAFF,Chief Chidiebere Enelamah expressed satisfaction on the AIG 's knowledge on the maritime sector despite his one month old stay in office had been fruitful.
He said the reasons for the visit was to understand operations of the maritime command arm of the force.
The BOT chairman further appealed to AIG to pay a working visit to the national headquarters for a better understand on how the associate operate.
Enelamah assured that the association will assist the maritime police on information sharing adding that communication is strategic to eliminate crime in the maritime sector.
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