Dangote laments pirate attacks on vessels at terminals in Lagos.

Segun Oladipupo |

Greenview Development Nigeria Limited (GDNL), operators of terminal E at the Lagos Ports Complex (LPC), Thursday, raised alarm over incessant attacks on ships at berth.

The terminal operators lamented that vessels at berth received attacks at intervals of two months without resistance from any marine security operatives.

Speaking at a stakeholders meeting, in commemoration of the 2019 Global Customer Service Week, with theme “The Magic of Service, held on Thursday in Lagos, General Manager, Operations, GDNL, Mr. Yakubu Abdullahi said that the facility which is opposite Ogogoro Village, lacks presence of security patrol which he noted poses serious danger to the terminal.

Abdullahi reiterated that “I am happy with the report of the Lagos Port manager, highlighting the surveillance and patrol of the water front but we have an experience that is very negative.

“Every two months, pirates come on board and attack our vessels at berth meaning that the patrol needs to be increased and needs to be more coordinated because the marine police and the Nigerian Navy, if they are taking part in the internal water, they will need to understand what is really happening.

“This same set of people, once they launch attack on the vessel, no challenge, they operate free and leave and they come through the waterfront.

“Particularly our own terminal GDNL, we are directly opposite Ogogoro village and I don’t think the village is a legal village and government has to look at that aspect with a view to finding solutions to the problem.

In its response, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said that plans have been concluded to deploy security boats to monitor the waterfronts of the terminals in a bid to protect cargoes and nip in the bud other security challenges confronting the port concessionaires .

Managing Director of the NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman disclosed this in response to the alarm raised by the concessionaires at the stakehomders’ engagement.

Hadiza was represented at the meeting by the Executive Director, Marine and Operations, NPA, Dr. Davies Sokonte.

While responding to challenges confronting the port stakeholders, Hadiza noted that security operatives and police officers will re -strategize to curb the menace of pirate attacks on ships at berth.

According to NPA MD, the agency and navy have been collaborating to address issues of illegalities on the waterfronts.