Is the menace of prostitution and stowaway that has been a regular feature in Nigerian seaports truly subsiding? A lot of Nigerians close to operations in the ports do not think so in the midst of economic woes and widely acclaimed porous national borders.
But the Lagos seaports and marine command of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has said that there have been no reported cases of prostitution on the Lagos waters in the last one and half years.
Comptroller of immigration, Lagos Seaports and Marine Command of NIS, Mrs Taiwo Olayemi, said in an interview in Lagos that there were only two cases of stowaway involving Nigerians within the period; which she said, is a clear indication that the Lagos waters is safe from illegalities.
On the recent case of two Nigerians who attempted stowaway, Olayemi said that the case was nipped in the bud by gallant officers of the command, saying that the culprit had been handed over to the police for further checks.
“One of the core functions of the service is border policing and the ports are also border posts where foreigners gain access to our country easy. It is important to note that we are responsible for monitoring the movement of foreigners under our jurisdiction, because we don’t know their motive of being here,” she said.
She noted that the Lagos seaport command covers Tin can island port, Niger Dock and the Lagos Port Complex as headquarters.
She said officers and men of the command patrol Lagos waters on a daily basis to monitor activities of persons, stressing that the command team patrol between Epe and Badagry areas with 300 gallant officers and four patrol boats under her watch.
Source : Independent
