IMMIGRATION : Marine Command Vows To Curb Increasing  Waterways Human Trafficking

In a bid to boost surveillance and effective monitoring of passengers within the maritime space, the Lagos Seàports and Marine Command, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has expressed concerns  over the increasing number of waterways human trafficking .

Apparently ready to deploy more watercrafts with technological devices within the marine ecosystem, the Lagos  Marine and Seàports Command of Immigration reiterated its commitment to synergize with relevant government agencies and riverine communities to curb the ugly trends.

Speaking  in Lagos recently, Comptroller , Lagos Seàports and Marine Command, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mohammed Saddiq called on riverine communities to help with useful information as part of measures assist government agencies to nip the illicit practices in the bud.

Saddiq noted that attention has been  shifted  from air and land mode of human trafficking to  the waterways , but added that men of the service will step up surveillance to man functional jetties and provision of more patrol boats to curb the practice.

The Comptroller stressed that the command needs support from the host and riverine communities saying some of the communities are hostile toward assisting the service with relevant information in tackling the Illicit practices and other Immigration offences.

The immigration boss further hinted that the service is equipped with some gunboats and other watercrafts  in furtherance to patrol the blue borders noting that this is the agenda of the current Comptroller General of Immigration against the backdrop of curbing the menacing waterways human trafficking.

He stated that:”This is the mandate that the Comptroller General of Immigration has given me that she has gotten a report that some of the traffickers are using the waterways.

“We want the riverine communities and host communities to give us useful information  and we are working 24hours at various checkpoints to checkmate this Illicit practice and we are also tracking some of these syndicate as we speak.”Saddiq quipped.

He further assured that management of the service is working round the clock to deploy more logistics and other technological devices to man the waterways pointing out the command would soon get more patrol and gunboat to boost its operations.

He added that “The command is expecting more patrol boats to man the waterways “, pointing out that collaboration with sister agencies was key to further address vices along the coastline.

According to him, the service and other government agencies have a robust working relationship which in turn has led to the drastic reduction of stowaways through the port  terminals in Lagos State.

By Roland Ekama