The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Jamoh, has said that the agency is determined to support and strengthen partnership with the Nigerian police in fighting maritime crimes.
Jamoh, who gave the assurance at a meeting with the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba in Abuja, promised to extend the ongoing collaboration between NIMASA and other security agencies under the Deep Blue Project to the marine unit of the police in areas of capacity building and provision of patrol support.
He said that there had been a reduction in piracy attacks in the blue waters, as confirmed by notable international bodies, including the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and International Maritime Bureau (IMB).
According to a statement by NIMASA, the director-general stressed the need for enhanced policing of the nation’s brown waters and that the agency would support the marine police in areas of training, retraining, supply of kits, and other necessary gadgets to enhance their patrol around creeks, quayside, harbours and other navigable areas in the nation’s maritime domain.
“NIMASA is seeking close integration and collaboration of the Nigerian Marine Police into our recently launched waterways security architecture, Deep Blue Project.
“This is to achieve an all-encompassing outcome stretching from the blue waters where we already have the Nigerian Navy’s presence to the brown waters near the anchorage areas where the Nigerian Police statutorily have a role to stem the tide of insecurity and checkmate criminal activities against berthing ships and seafarers,” he said.
Jamoh disclosed that there was ongoing integration of NIMASA’s Command, Control Computer Communication and Information System (C4i) located at its resource centre in Kirikiri with the Falcon Eye of the Nigerian Navy and a similar police facility, for easy coordination and intelligence sharing and urged all the parties to maximize the use of the technology in monitoring the waters.
He described the Nigerian police as a strategic partner whose operation and support were essential for sustaining and improving on the gains already recorded in the anti-piracy drive and safety of small crafts.
Responding, the Inspector General of Police commended NIMASA’s efforts under its present management and reiterated the resolve of the police force to fight crimes all over the country, including in the territorial waters.
Baba described the marine police as a very important arm of the force, considering the strategic importance of the waters to the economic and social well-being of the country.
GIK/APA