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The Inspector-General of Police IGP, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, yesterday, spoke on the need for information sharing among security agencies charged with the policing of the nation’s territorial waters, in a bid to stamp out criminality on the nation’s waters.
Abubakar made the call during a visit by participants of Senior Course 35/12 Department of the Maritime Warfare of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College at the Force headquarters Annex, Lagos.
Represented by his Principal Staff Officer, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Adeyanju Olugbenga, the IGP urged the agencies to eschew selfishness and cooperate with each other in the interest of national security .
He however, noted that there was cordial relationship between the Police and the Nigerian Navy, NN, as a result of joint courses attended by both agencies at the junior and senior levels,where he said ideas were shared and policies which would improve the services and nation formulated.
The Navy he stated, had played supporting roles to the police and other services, particularly in coastal areas. “ The support include Naval sunshine support, movement and deployment of personnel and their equipment using boats and where available, helicopters”, he said.
He however, lamented that funding was the major challenge militating against the effective policing of the waterways . “ You need funds to get gun boats and other platforms needed for patrol. We all know that the Federal government is like a father with so many children and as such, has many needs to attend to.
But this should not deter us from carrying out our constitutional responsibility.”, he added, informing that 20 policemen were recently drafted from the Marine Department to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and safety Agency NIMASA, in order to compliment efforts of its officials and the NN.
On his part, the Director, Department of Maritime Warfare at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji, Kaduna, Commodore Kenneth Ati-John, who led the 43 participants, explained that the visit was to compliment the theoretical aspect of the course 35 which had as its theme “Improving Maritime Inter agency Cooperation for effective Maritime security and Economic Development.”
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