Maritime Police Command recovers 287 stolen containers, arrests kingpin, others

By Abiodun OBA

The Maritime Police Command has made giant impacts in maritime security under the new AIG Maritime Police Command, AIG SUSAN U. AKEM-HORSFALL within a month.

Briefing the press on Tuesday in Lagos, AIG Akem-Horsfall disclosed that her command recovered over two hundred and eighty-seven empty containers stolen for MSC, Maersk Nigeria Ltd and other Shipping Companies.

Horse-Fall revealed that, “One Izuchukwu Udeogwu ‘m’ who is a kingpin in empty container theft was arrested and case charged to Court”.

The Command she further disclosed, recorded an improvement in its intelligence gathering and the deployment of cutting-edge technology in policing the nation’s waterways which led to the arrest of a 40ft-container.

Giving details, she said, “Acting on a credible information/intelligence, men of the Maritime Police Command on Friday 18 August 2023 at about 2330hrs. intercepted a container with number MRSU-5797660 Ix 40ft.

“The information revealed that the container was cleared with forged documents in connivance with allied security agents at the port. The document recovered from the suspects read that the content of the container are as follows: – Two used Toyota Hi-ace buses with chassis no. TRH2019013526 and TRHU2002467311; and six hundred and fifty (650) packages of used auto spare parts and engines.

“Two suspects namely, Obiora Udenkwo “m” aged 43yrs and Chika Igwingu ‘m’ 49yrs were apprehended and on interrogation they confessed that there was no vehicle inside the container, but it was carrying Robert Soap and that the documents were doctored. The suspects will be charged to court for prosecution upon the completion of investigations.

“Based on this information, the Police suspect that more non-dutiable items are concealed in the container.

“This unpatriotic attitude of these individuals is a deliberate attempt to hamper the economic growth of this country as well as to sabotage the efforts of the President in boosting the economy and the finance base of Nigeria.

The AIG advised and encouraged her men not to relent in their efforts at fighting criminals within the maritime domain and made it known to them that “they are fighting organized crime, where highly placed and influential individual in the society are involved.

“This will help approach them with tact. As we all know, when you fight corruption, it will always want to fight back”.

According to the AIG SUSAN U. AKEM-HORSFALL, corruption could fight back through media publication maligning the Maritime Police Command.