INSECURITY: Dangote Terminal Raises Alarm Over Pirate Attacks On Vessels At Berth

By Roland Ekama, Lagos

 

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

 

The Dangote own facility lamented that ships at berth are being attack bi monthly without resistance from marine security operatives.

 

Speaking at a stakeholders meeting, in commemoration to 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 the Dangote owned terminal which is opposite Ogogoro Village lacks presence of security patrol thus poses serious danger to the facility.

 

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

 

“Every two months, pirates come ion 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.

 

Responding , Managing Director , Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA),Hadiza Bala Usman said plans have been concluded to deploy security boats to monitor the waterfronts of the terminals in a bid to protect cargoes and other security challenges confronting the port concessionaires .

 

Managing Director of the NPA, was represented by the Executive Director, Marine and Operations, Dr. Davies Sokonte.

 

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

 

According to her, the NPA and navy have been collaborating to address issues if illegalities on the waterfronts.