NPA bans touts, hawkers from ports, overhauls surveillance activities

The security measure is in line with the Executive Order recently issued by Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo earlier this month.

A statement released by the NPA on Tuesday, May 30, said the surveillance of illegal vessels movement by Command, Control, Communication and Intelligence (C3I) Centre and regular patrols of waterfront and common user areas and terminals by joint security teams has also commenced.

According to the statement, the Managing Director of NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman, directed full and immediate compliance with the executive order by all officials of the agency.

It was also gathered that all security agencies are being sensitized on their specific roles procedures for enforcing security in the ports and environs in order to achieve a synergy between all security agencies.

This is said to be in line with the International Ships and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code.

As contained in the statement, there is an ongoing illumination of port common user areas and fencing of Tincan Island Port Complex to ward off unauthorized access by miscreants.

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Also in line with the Executive Order, all security personnel are to display their on-duty cards while on duty while all off-duty personnel are now completely banned from the ports.

A new ID card for staff and retirees with improved features and better production quality is also being proposed while the procedures for issuing port passes and access cards are being reviewed, the statement said.

Also, to ensure seamless operations at the port, a joint patrol team comprising NPA Security, Port Authority Police, Customs and DSS will be constituted to carry effective patrol in the Port on hourly basis.

A security operations room will also be established to monitor all port activities.

In the Executive Order, Osinbajo had directed that "the Apapa Port shall resume 24-hour operations within 30 days of the issuance of this Order and there shall be no touting whatsoever by official or unofficial persons at any port in Nigeria."