Maritime Police, Navy to Intensify Coordinated Patrols on Lagos Waterways
The Maritime Police Command and the Nigerian Navy’s Western Naval Command have agreed to step up coordinated patrol operations across Lagos waterways and adjoining creeks, following a high-level meeting between the two security agencies aimed at tightening the net against maritime crime.
The agreement emerged from a strategic courtesy visit paid by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Maritime Police Command, AIG Okunade Ronke Nurat, to the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral A. A. Mustapha, at the Command’s headquarters.
Both Commands used the occasion to reaffirm their shared commitment to securing Nigeria’s coastal and inland waterways, with deliberations identifying concrete areas where closer operational ties could yield measurable security gains.
Beyond the intensification of coordinated patrols, the two Commands agreed to develop a unified response framework for maritime emergencies and to deepen capacity building through joint exercises, steps that security analysts say could significantly improve response times and operational coordination on the water.
AIG Okunade, speaking during the visit, described the security of Nigeria’s maritime environment as a collective responsibility. She acknowledged the Navy’s leading role in securing the country’s territorial waters while emphasising that the Maritime Police Command holds a complementary mandate covering inland waterways and coastal communities.
Rear Admiral Mustapha, who warmly received the delegation, commended AIG Okunade for her proactive stance on inter-agency collaboration and reaffirmed the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to continued partnership with the Police in confronting maritime security challenges.
The visit concluded with an exchange of souvenirs and a renewed pledge by both Commands to deepen collaboration in the interest of national security and the protection of lives and property across Nigeria’s maritime domain.
